Champion of Twilight
by Quatermass
Summary: The Deathly Hallows were not gifts from Death, but artifacts stolen from Hyrule. During the final battle, the proximity of them sends Harry to the Twilight Realm. There, he is charged with saving not one princess, but two, not to mention an entire land. It's never easy for the Chosen One...even when there's two of them...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

There are few video games that I will say are works of art in of themselves. That is, they have something that truly impresses me, or blows me away, in terms of presentation. These aren't necessarily my favourite games, but for the most part, they rank amongst them. Amongst these privileged few are _Final Fantasy XII, Okami, Limbo_ , and _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_.

It is the latter that concerns this work most of all. I've been concentrating a lot on Harry Potter crossovers with the _Final Fantasy_ games, but it occurred to me that there was another fantasy game series that I could mash it up with. Namely _The Legend of Zelda_. But which game to choose? Well, _Twilight Princess_ is my personal favourite of the series, despite some pretty stiff competition from almost every console entry in the series from _The Ocarina of Time_ to _Skyward Sword_. But there is something about _Twilight Princess_ that has it stand as the ultimate refinement of everything good about _The Legend of Zelda_. In my opinion, anyway. It doesn't hurt that it has some of the most epic boss battles in the series, with my personal favourite being the fight against Argorok. That is one of the most epic boss battles ever.

There's at least one story that brings Harry into this particular instalment of the series, _Twice Branded_ by dawnriser, and while I will be using at least a couple of conceits from that story (although I considered Harry being branded with the sign of the Hallows before I actually read dawnriser's work in earnest, I thought I'd acknowledge here that dawnriser wrote of the same thing first), this work will take things in a different direction. There will be a non-mute Link (albeit later in the story), so if you don't like that, leave. Also, it won't actually get to the events of the game proper until the events where Link transforms for the first time.

Anyway, here come the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for Harry Potter and _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_.

Secondly, I will be annotating this work heavily. You don't like it? You can stop reading now.

Thirdly, this is an M-rated work for violence, swearing, and sexual references. You have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _The Legend of Zelda_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Zant will turn you into something nasty.


	2. Chapter 1: An Interloper in the

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **AN INTERLOPER IN THE INTERLOPERS' WORLD**

Myth and legends are curious things indeed. Sometimes, as one legend ends, another begins. And sometimes, there are legendary things that should never be brought together in any sort of proximity.

Take the Deathly Hallows, so-named because they were gifts from Death to a trio of brothers. The reality of their origins were quite different, but there was nobody in the world who knew this. And in any case, it was without dispute that they were powerful artifacts of immense power. And like many such things, it was dangerous to bring them into proximity with each other. And yet, they were at this point in time.

The Elder Wand, wielded by a man born Tom Marvolo Riddle, but preferring his assumed sobriquet of Lord Voldemort. A man (though he barely qualified to be called such by now) with a single overriding fear that he would never admit: a fear of death. Thanatophobia. He wanted immortality at all costs, so that he could rule like the god he believed himself to be over Magical Britain, and soon, the world. His soul was little more than a shard of what it once was, deliberately shattered to ensure his immortality, but only that shard remains, the remaining pieces destroyed. He believes the Elder Wand makes him invincible. He is far from the first to believe so, mistakenly, but perhaps he may be the last.

The Cloak of Invisibility, currently in the possession of Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived. A boy whose destiny was kept from him since his parents' death. Left with unloving relatives, kept in the dark by a meddlesome but well-meaning old man, shaped into a soldier, a weapon, a messianic figure. Never truly allowed to be Harry Potter, because he had a Destiny. A Destiny to die, and to defeat Voldemort. He'd done the first thing already (though thanks to convoluted circumstances, he got better), and now, he was trying to do the second.

The Resurrection Stone, not in as close proximity, but not that far either. An artifact that could temporarily summon the spirits of the dead to speak with the living once more. After using it to gain comfort from his friends and family who had passed on, Harry had discarded it to confront Voldemort, and die for the first time.

It is rumoured that the Hallows, if in the possession of the same person, would make them the Master of Death. In truth, bringing them into close proximity was dangerous, something no wizard knew about. They had vast reserves of power locked away within them. And when Harry and Voldemort cast their final spells, that power was unleashed in a blinding flare of light.

This power was represented by the sign of the Deathly Hallows: a triangle, with a bisected circle within it. Few people knew that it was actually a corrupted version of an even more ancient symbol, a symbol virtually nobody knew of today, save in myth and legend.

Nobody knew what happened, once they blinked the glare from their eyes. The upshot was that Voldemort was sprawled on the ground, the Elder Wand nowhere to be seen. Neither was Harry. No ashes, no scorch mark, no corpse in any condition whatsoever. Harry Potter had vanished from the face of the Earth.

It didn't take long for rumours to spread, rumours laden with awe, fear, and joy. Harry had gone to wherever heroes go to until they were needed again, they thought, like King Arthur sleeping in time for Britain's hour of need. The legend of Harry Potter, already inflated beyond control, now truly took on a life of its own.

Friends of the Boy Who Lived hoped he would come back one day. But they soon found themselves preoccupied with the process of putting their world back together. And soon, Harry was but fond memories in the minds of many on this world, though some still cursed his name.

But enough of them. This story is about what happened to Harry on that fateful day, and what came after.

* * *

 _Well, this is familiar. I've woken up naked in a white void again_ , Harry thought, getting to his feet. After a moment, he looked down at himself. _Oh. Scratch the naked part. Thank Merlin, I've still got my clothes this time. So, does that mean I'm not dead? If I was, Dumbledore might be back, or my parents, or…_

"I think he's confused," came a feminine voice, filled with kindness.

"Of course he is," another female voice, albeit with a more tomboyish air. "I mean, that was a hell of a magical reaction centred on him."

"The unpredictable instability of having those three artifacts in close proximity was what caused that reaction," another voice, with an air reminding Harry of Hermione, said.

"In short, Nayru, he brought those things together, and when everything went boom, it took him and those things here, and Voldemort's dead," the tomboyish voice said. "End result: Voldemort 0, Harry Potter AWOL."

"…Din, you didn't have to put it like that," the gentle, kind voice said.

"Hey, blunt truths are better than dancing around them, Farore," the voice identified as Din said. "That's what the old goat did. Kept secrets and crap from him."

"Who are you?" Harry demanded. "Show yourselves!"

Eventually, out of the void walked a trio of young women. The first was a red-haired woman with a slender, athletic body, and an impish grin. The second had green hair, with twin pigtails and a somewhat more childlike look to her, despite her age. The last had long blue hair and a harp by her side, with a serene expression that reminded him a bit too much of Dumbledore.

"The name's Din," the red-haired woman said.

"I am Farore," the green-haired one said.

"And I am Nayru," the blue-haired one concluded. "We are the Three Goddesses of Hyrule."

"Hyrule? I've never heard of it."

"Not surprising," Din said. "We worked hard to erase the knowledge about Hyrule from your people's minds ages ago."

Nayru nodded. "Unfortunately, artifacts remain here and there, like those Hallows. Contrary to the legends of your world, they weren't created by Death. They were created by us. They were stolen from our world by a group of wizards who raided our world, attempting to steal an artifact of great power. The Peverells were thieves, and only the one who took the Cloak showed any kind of remorse for what he did. And they were lucky to have returned to your world."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, trying to take this information in.

"The wizards and witches who opened a bridge to our world, and to the land of Hyrule, teamed up with mages of our world, and began waging war to try and claim the ultimate embodiment of our power," Farore said. "The Triforce."

"The Triforce?"

"Our gift to the people of Hyrule, containing our power, each with different segments for the connoisseur," Din said. A strange, triangular symbol appeared, like three triangles formed into one with a triangular gap in the middle. "The Triforce of Power, a gift from my domain." She pointed to one of the smaller triangles.

"The Triforce of Wisdom, a gift from my own realm," Nayru said, pointing to another segment.

"And the Triforce of Courage, my gift from my realm," Farore said, pointing to the last segment.

"Whoever claims the Triforce will gain a wish of immense power, but only if their hearts and souls are in balance. Should they approach the Triforce with an unbalanced heart and soul, then they will only obtain the segment that is like them most," Nayru said.

"Not that it stopped Ganondork," Din muttered. "Evil son of a bitch keeps hanging on to my segment. I don't even know how he got it before the Sages turned him into a shish-kebab."

"Ganondork?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"My sister means Ganondorf Dragmire, a Gerudo thief who had ambitions to rule the world whom we tried, and failed, to deal with," Nayru said. "Unfortunately, he has regained a measure of his strength, and has corrupted the mind of another who wishes to conquer worlds."

"Oh, please don't tell me you want me to face him…" Harry groaned. He'd had enough of facing Dark Lord wannabes.

"Not yet. In truth, you are here by happenstance," Nayru said. "Unfortunately, the nature of the reaction that sent you here is practically irreproducible."

"Meaning?"

Farore looked sad. "Well, I'm sorry, Harry, but it's a one-way trip. You can't go back home. You're now, well, stuck in this realm."

Harry found it hard to comprehend. Presumably it was the shock, because something would inevitably rush in and hit him with the full reality of what had happened. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, before he finally asked, "Where am I, then?"

"Metaphysically? Our realm," Nayru said. "Your body, however, is currently in the place where the Dark Interlopers, the people who were once those who tried to take the Triforce for themselves, reside. They have now become the Twili, beings who reside in the Twilight Realm. They have changed since their attempt to usurp our power: they are mostly a peaceful race, though mistrusting of those who come from the realms of light, and their magic is still a dark one, even if not actually evil."

Farore nodded. "We don't like to see them suffer, but sadly, one of them, Zant, has succumbed to the temptation of Ganondorf's spirit. I'm sorry to ask this of you again so soon, but…"

"Oh, dammit…you want me to save the world?"

"Actually, first, we want you to save a princess," Din said. "But yeah, the world's next on the agenda. We wouldn't be asking you this, but frankly, we need agents in the Twilight Realm and Hyrule."

"Save the princess, save the world?" Harry groaned. "Sounds like something out of Dudley's video games. It's not like I have a choice, do I?"

"Sorry, but no," Farore admitted. "Your body is in the Twilight Realm after all, and with Zant looking to kill or subjugate anyone in his way…"

"Okay…got it. There's no prophecy around me, though, is there?"

"Not as far as I know, but there is another by prophecy ensnared," Nayru admitted. "Alongside the Twilight Princess Midna, he is the one you will have to assist. That is why you have been branded with the mark of the Hallows."

"On your hand there, see?" Din said, pointing to his right hand.

He stared, looking at the symbol. "No rest for the wicked," he groaned.

"And even less for the virtuous," Farore said sympathetically. "Now go, and save Midna…"

* * *

Harry's eyes flickered open to see a strange sight. It was the landscape that drew his attention first. He seemed to be before a vast palace, a monolithic thing floating in a cloudscape that had the colours and hues of sunset. Strange eldritch writing adorned many of its surfaces, glowing. It should have been sinister, but there was something almost reassuring about it, especially given the twilight hues. Black spinning squares seemed to rise into the sky, in a perverse parody of rain. He was sprawled on some sort of circular platform a little way away from the palace, connected to it by a long staircase. Of course, as bizarre as it was, it was nothing compared to the two inhabitants of this world, whom he could see nearby, neither of whom seemed to have noticed him.

The two of them looked human-like, with two legs, two arms, and a head in all the right places. The larger one was dressed in long-sleeved robes and armour, with a massive helmet, with bulging eyes and a grotesquely-protruding tongue. The other was a girl, about his age, maybe a little older. She wore less clothing than the figure looming in front of her: a black robe and a sash in front of her hips, both with elaborate green patterns that put him in mind of circuitry, was all, with black markings covering her breasts. She was a slender, elegant thing, with a long, beautiful face framed by orange hair. Her eyes, funnily enough, reminded him of a beautiful sunset, with yellow sclera, and red irises. Not red like Voldemort's were, full of malice and hatred, but rather, filled with disbelief and fear and even outrage.

She spoke, even as she backed away from the armoured figure, her voice a musical, lilting thing. "You have gone too far, Zant! Doing these grotesque things to our people, defying the will of the royal families…"

Zant, in a low, dangerous tone, said, "I am taking what is rightfully mine, Midna. I offer a simple choice: join me. Or suffer."

"That is no choice at all, Zant! And I refuse to join you in your insane dreams of conquest."

"Suffering it is. Tell me, Midna, remember the nickname they gave you for those rather undignified pranks of yours? They called you the Imp. Time to make that cognomen become reality…"

As he made to cast some sort of spell, Harry surged to his feet, whipping out his wand, and screaming, "DEPULSIO!" With an undignified squawk, Zant was launched into the air, and Harry darted towards Midna. "Run now! Introductions later!" he yelled, whipping out the Invisibility Cloak and draping it around them both. It was a bit awkward to run with two under the Cloak, but they managed, and by the time Zant recovered and began screaming for his minions, they were already far enough away.

* * *

About a quarter of an hour since the miraculous intervention of this light-dweller, Midna called a halt to their flight. "Over there," she said, pointing to a storehouse. "We can rest there for a moment."

The light-dweller nodded, panting as they entered the storehouse, and then whipped off that cloak that concealed them. He was a light-dweller, but unlike the few light-dwellers who had managed to intrude on their realm, he had kept his form. He also looked muddy and bloody, as if he had recently fought a battle. And you could see a weariness in his eyes. He was a soldier, despite his youth. He was probably about her age, but his eyes seemed far too old for it. That being said, for his pale skin and unwashed appearance, he was quite easy on the eyes. And she could tell that he was attracted to her.

At least unlike most light-dwellers, he wasn't screaming or gibbering in fear. He seemed more bemused and resigned to his surroundings. There was some fear, but it was more the fear of being on the run than in the Twilight Realm.

Of late, Midna had been yearning for something novel, beyond the politics of the Twilight Realm. Unfortunately, Zant's _coup d'etat_ counted. The idiot was an agitator whose ill-hidden ambition was to try and conquer Hyrule again. Which probably wouldn't end well. After all, the Light Spirits, those accursed lackeys of the Goddesses, had managed to seal them away in this twilight dimension. And they only had a fragment of the Fused Shadow left, which had become the traditional crown of the Twilight Ruler. A fragment she had managed to keep concealed on her person with her magic.

But the exile had been a blessing in disguise. True, there was still resentment towards Hyrule and its deities for defying their will. Even Midna felt rancour towards the Goddesses. But the Twilight Realm was a world of peace, save for the monsters that roamed outside of the settlements. There was more happiness and peace than there was resentment and anger…save for within the hearts of Zant and his cronies.

She would be the first to admit, though, that the Twilight Realm was in dire need of something novel. Something new. Something interesting. Something to shake up the established order ever-so-slightly.

She stole another glance at the interloper. He was something novel, something new, something interesting. If he wasn't any true threat to her people, then perhaps he might be that interesting something.

He couldn't be the hero of their legend, though. That hero was said to become a divine beast within the twilight, and he still looked human.

Eventually, the interloper said, "The name's Harry Potter. You must be Midna, the Twilight Princess."

"Indeed I am. You seem well-informed for a light-dweller, Harry Potter."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when a trio of goddesses decide that I'm their new plaything."

Midna frowned. "The Goddesses? The thrice-cursed jailors of my people?!"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't want to be here in the first place. They just said that they wanted me to be here as the Champion of Twilight. They even branded me like I'm cattle or something. Look!" He held up his hand, and Midna peered at the symbol thus revealed, of a triangle with a bisected circle inside.

"That looks familiar…" she mused out loud. "Yes…it looks like one of our sacred symbols. But it'll take more than a pretty tattoo to convince me of your intentions, Harry Potter."

"Would a magical vow help?"

Midna stared at him. "You know of the old vows on one's magic and life?"

"A little."

"Hmm. Very well. Make your vow, then."

"Okay. I, Harry James Potter, do solemnly swear on my life and my magic, that I have no ill intentions toward the Twilight Realm and its people. So mote it be, and may my life be forfeit if I swear false." A flare of light briefly surrounded Harry, and Midna had to admit to being impressed. If that truly was one of the ancient vows, then he had risked his life and magic to prove his good intentions.

Then again, he had sent Zant flying just as he was about to turn Midna into an imp. Eventually, she said, "So you are a mage."

"I was told some of your ancestors may have come from the world I was thrown from."

"Hmm." Midna frowned, as she considered her options. Eventually, she said, "If the Goddesses have sent you here to act as the Champion of Twilight, then I guess having one person on my side is better than none, even if they are a light-dweller. Beggars can't be choosers after all, and after today, I'm pretty much a Princess in name only."

"Yeah, well, if you listened to that crap where I came from, you'd think I was your best choice," Harry said. "I was famous because I survived an instant death curse before I was even out of nappies, despite the fact that my parents were probably the ones to use a spell to protect me. Killed a man before I was twelve, killed a homicidal snake with a deadly gaze before I was thirteen, led my own little army at fifteen, and killed…I hope…the man who killed my parents just before I got here." He gave a sardonic bow. "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, at your service."

The way he spoke of such things was not in a bragging tone. It was in a weary tone that suggested he barely believed he had done such things, and hadn't wanted to.

Living up to so many expectations, she realised. She could see part of herself mirrored in those weary green eyes.

"Well, 'Boy Who Lived', let's go. There should be a portal to Hyrule left unguarded somewhere, and Zant's going to try and track us down. He can't stand the thought of me still being beautiful. He's jealous."

Harry laughed, a cracked braying thing, but still a laugh regardless, and he stood. "Well, let's disappoint him, shall we?"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And so, it begins. Harry has met Midna, albeit not under the best of circumstances. I've decided that Harry and Midna are about the same age in this story, 17, nearly 18 at this point. Midna will also be a little less sarcastic and condescending in this story than she is in the game: I think part of the attitude she has towards Link and Zelda is because she's lost her kingdom, and her looks. Because Harry saved her from being turned into an imp, she's got less of the attitude, especially as an ally has come forward without her having to seek one out. She still has an attitude, but it's less 'spoiled princess bossing people around' and more like 'this day cannot possibly get any worse'. Which it will.**

 **While I based the rough appearances of the Goddesses on the Oracles in the Game Boy Advance games, their personalities are basically my own creation.**

 **Incidentally, the original version of this story had Harry spending a couple of years in the Twilight Realm (having arrived a couple of years before Zant launched his coup), and becoming Midna's bodyguard. I thought that the background culture of the Twili I had written about seemed a bit silly in retrospect, so I decided to leap straight into the action with a revised version. Some artifacts of that story remain: I gave Midna the nickname of 'Imp' (probably subconsciously reminded of Tyrion's similar nickname from** ** _A Song of Ice and Fire_** **), but to reflect her impish nature than her appearance, and I thought Zant's curse was basically making Midna resemble her name.**

 **It'll take some time before we get to the events of** ** _Twilight Princess_** **proper. Next chapter will be Hyrule, and the first meeting between an imprisoned Zelda, and Midna, along with Harry.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Two Princesses

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **THE TWO PRINCESSES**

Finding a portal wasn't easy. They had to dodge monstrous Shadow Beasts. Normally, these creatures were what were created when Twili were infected with a certain disease that heightened aggression and stripped them of their sanity, according to Midna. But Zant seemed to be converting most of the Twili he had come upon into these creatures.

And the full weight of Harry being unable to go home began to hit him. He concealed his worry from Midna, who nonetheless managed to notice something was up with her new comrade. The two traded half-hearted jibes, presumably to cope with their respective losses.

Eventually, they found an unguarded portal, though a few days had passed since their initial flight from Zant. Midna, taking a deep breath, took Harry's hand, and dissolved them into particles of darkness that sped through the portal.

But when they arrived, they knew it was too late. After all, Midna had explained that, when in the realm of light, she would have to hide within his shadow, lest she be harmed by the light. But instead, they ended up on the ramparts of a massive and magnificent castle, bathed in the light of the Twilight Realm.

"Damn, we're too late!" Midna snarled.

"What is this place?" Harry asked.

"Hyrule Castle," Midna said. "Our people still keep an eye on events in Hyrule, lest someone in the realm of light decides to mount an invasion. Virtually impossible, but even so, a few fools have stumbled into our realm. Recently, the reigning king died, and his heir was going to be crowned. Her name was Princess Zelda. It seems that Zant has invaded Hyrule already. He's working fast."

Harry spied the dark creatures flying around. "Do you have any weapons?"

"I have my magic. I think Zant managed to seal a lot of it: that's how he cornered me," Midna said bitterly. "I also have the Fused Shadow."

"And what's that?"

She smirked, before holding out her hands. Something that looked like a horned helmet carved from stone appeared. "The true crown of the Twilight Realm. Once, it was an artifact of extraordinary magical power, infused with darkness." She removed the headdress and the part of her robe covering the top of her head, before putting the helmet onto it, a carved eye obscuring one of her own. "We'll see if we can't find an armoury, though, before we leave. I wouldn't say no to a sword and a shield."

"What I'd really want is the Sword of Gryffindor." On her look, he said, "Long story."

She nodded, before her gaze went to a tower nearby. They could both see a human or human-like shape peering out at them. "Have we been rumbled?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. That's probably not Zant. Too small." Her eye (the only one visible now that she wore the Fused Shadow) widened. "I think that may be Zelda."

"Why do you say that?"

"Light-dwellers tend to become discorporate spirits in our realm. Only the chosen by the Goddesses retain a physical form. And there are rumours that the Triforce of Wisdom is passed down through the children of the Royal Family of Hyrule."

"Okay. Should we go and say hello?"

"I guess. At least we can find out what Zant did…"

* * *

Using the Cloak, they made their way to the tower, and then up it, entering the room quietly. It's only occupant was a woman dressed in a dark robe with an emblem of the back, of a stylised eye that seemed to be weeping. She was looking out of the window as they entered, but she then asked, calmly, "I wonder…are you ally, or are you assassin?"

"An ally of necessity at best," Midna said. She gestured at Harry to keep the Cloak over them for the moment.

The young woman in the robe turned around, and frowned beneath her hood when she saw nobody present. Nobody visible. "Show yourself, then."

Midna pushed the Cloak off her, and Harry did the same. The young woman said, "Another from the Twilight Realm, and a boy."

"Your powers of observation do you credit, Zelda," Midna said, a little acidly. "I mean, you _are_ Princess Zelda of Hyrule, aren't you?"

The young woman nodded, before removing her hood. Harry was struck by how beautiful she was, with light brown hair, a heart-shaped solemn face, and pointed ears. And despite the difference in appearance and demeanour, it was clear that Midna and Zelda shared a regal nature in their looks. "As you appear to have me at a disadvantage, may I know your names?"

"I am Midna, and this is my bodyguard and servant Harry. I am a refugee from the Twilight Realm, while Harry happened to save me from Zant."

"Zant…" Zelda hissed. Her eyes flickered down to Harry's hand, noting the brand of the Hallows present. "That's not the symbol of the Triforce…"

"Not exactly. It's the symbol of the Hallows. Apparently my ancestors were bastards of the highest order," Harry remarked wryly.

"We'll talk about that later," Zelda said. "Time is of the essence. My guard will be making his rounds ere long, and if he finds you talking to me, he will capture you both. And as much as I desire my freedom, my flight will mean my people being put to the sword. But with the help of the Light Spirits, you may be able to repel him."

"So, wait, we've got to do the dirty work while you sit prettily? Well, excuse me, Princess(1)!" Midna asked.

"If I could, I would accompany you. But Zant made himself clear from when he first invaded! He overwhelmed us with those Shadow Beasts, threatening my people and the last of my guard. Submission and life, or resistance, and death. It was not a decision I undertook lightly, Midna. If you were in my position, you would understand that," Zelda said, anger glittering faintly in her blue eyes.

Midna glared at her, before relenting. "Okay, you want your people to keep living. I can understand that. But isn't there anything you can do with that Triforce of Wisdom of yours?"

"Very little. The irony is not lost on me. The Goddess' power, but it avails me little against Zant. However, I can tell you where to go." Her eyes flickered to Midna's Fused Shadow. "And the Light Spirits should be able to tell you where to find more fragments of that artifact. I know a little about it. I am surprised you would wish to use something so dark."

"Whatever works."

"You're not acting like equals, you know," Harry remarked snidely, only for Midna to wheel on him, and snarl.

"Idiot! She didn't need to know that!"

"Perhaps not," Zelda said, "but it would have been desirable to notify me that I am in the presence of a peer. Are you the Twilight Princess?"

Midna nodded in reluctant affirmation. "A deposed one. Zant styles himself the Twilight King, but he's a king of little more than shadows and darkness."

"Yeah, but the Goddesses said that Zant's strings are being pulled by that Ganondorf guy," Harry said. He had told Midna of what the Goddesses had told him during their flight through the Twilight Realm.

"Ganondorf?" Zelda gasped. "But…I thought he had been executed centuries ago by the Sages. But if the Goddesses believe him to be still alive, and he is behind Zant…" She then looked at them. "There is little time to waste. Zant comes in to taunt me regularly about his conquests of Hyrule. His next target is the Faron Woods and the Light Spirit there. He seeks to disable the Light Spirit there. I beseech you, head there at once!"

"Yeah, okay, fine," Midna said. "We'll be back before long."

As they left, Harry said to Zelda, "Sorry about her, but she's under a lot of stress lately, what with losing her kingdom and all."

"It is little problem. It heartens me that not everyone from the Twilight Realm moves against us. Good luck with your journey."

* * *

"Did you need to let that slip?" Midna snapped at Harry as they left the tower.

"You two were bickering, not getting things done," Harry retorted. "Aren't you meant to be a princess, all prim and proper?"

"I was _elected_ to be heir to the throne, remember?" She had told him about how she was selected to be the Twilight Princess, heir to the Twilight Throne, during their flight from Zant. "Okay, I was part of one of the noble families, but even so…it gets boring, being all prim and proper."

"Tell me about it. I may not be royalty, but I had to deal with all sorts of expectations. And I hated it. I didn't know about my fame until I was eleven. And I had to live with complete bastards for my family." A bitter chuckle wormed its way from his mouth. "It's a wonder I'm still remotely sane. Let's go find that armoury, shall we?"

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to find, and the two of them got a shield and a sword each (and Harry even finding some new clothes to wear to replace his old, muddied and bloodstained ones). Midna stored them away in a shadow dimension with her magic. She then taught him, as quickly as she could, how to summon the weapons again. She was as surprised as he was at how quick a study in shadow magic he was.

He chuckled darkly as he summoned, then stored his sword and shield. "Wonder how my friends would take me doing that. Ron'd probably say I was going dark…or maybe not. Hermione might listen."

"Hmm. Maybe I should listen to you tell stories of your life. But later. We have no time to waste." She clutched his hand in her own, and once more, opened up a portal, with their bodies briefly dissolving into a blizzard of dark particles…

* * *

…Only to find themselves in yet another Twilight-blanketed area. This time, it was a lush forest. As they darted behind some trees, Midna pointed to a dark barrier a Shadow Beast, a great hulking monster like some inky-black troll with a mask on its face, was near. The grotesque forms of goblin-like beings rode through, carrying the phantom forms of children with them, before leaving. Harry noted a girl just younger than him with blonde hair, and an even younger boy with blonde hair too, along with a trio of kids. Once they left, Midna gestured for Harry to move with her, closer to the dark barrier.

"That's a barrier between this area and an area not yet blanketed by Twilight. But what is it…?" Her eyes widened as the Shadow Beast lunged, thrusting its arm through the barrier, and pulling a boy in his mid to late teens through. He was dressed in rural clothing, and had blonde hair and blue eyes, along with pointed ears. The Shadow Beast held the boy up by the throat.

"No…let me go…" the boy rasped. "Ilia…Colin…"

Midna jogged Harry's arm. "His hand, Harry, his hand," she hissed urgently.

Just before things got stranger, Harry saw what she meant. The distinctive mark of the Triforce was glowing on his hand, with one segment glowing more than the others. "If Ganondorf has Power, and Zelda has Wisdom, bet you any money he has Courage. _Holy crap!_ "

This last was hissed in astonishment as the Shadow Beast was blasted away by a burst of light. The boy ended up on his hands and knees, panting in pain, before he suddenly began screaming. That scream elongated into a guttural snarl as, in an instant, the boy suddenly changed into a large wolf. The Triforce was present in patterns in the fur on his forehead, and his eyes were the same as before. The wolf eventually collapsed, the transformation apparently taking a lot out of him, and the Shadow Beast began dragging him away.

Midna turned to Harry. "Harry…amongst the legends of my people, there are tales of a chosen hero who becomes a divine beast in the Twilight."

"Is a wolf a divine beast with your people?"

Midna nodded. "And he has the Triforce of Courage. We'll have to catch up with him. Do you reckon we'll be able to catch that Shadow Beast by surprise?"

Harry nodded grimly. "But they're your own people, aren't they?"

"Shadow Beasts become animals. Unless they haven't succumbed to their madness and aggression, the only cure for them is death. And because it's by itself, it won't be able to be revived. Unleash your strongest attacks as swiftly as you can, and then we'll rescue him."

"What then?"

"Working on it. We'll have to save the Light Spirits, as they're probably the ones to know where the Fused Shadow is. And like it or not, we could do with an extra pair of hands…paws. Whatever."

Harry psyched himself up as they began following the Shadow Beast and his burden, and then, on Midna's cue, he lunged, waving his wand. "BOMBARDA!"

The Shadow Beast was flung away by the massive explosion. Midna was at the wolf's side, while Harry sent a series of Cutting Curses at the Shadow Beast, before finishing it off. "SECTUMSEMPRA!" he roared, slashing his wand viciously.

The Shadow Beast bellowed in pain as it seemed to be split into multiple segments, dark blood spraying through the air. It suddenly burst into dark, pixel-like fragments that sped into the sky.

Midna, meanwhile, looked down at the wolf. "That's odd. For some reason, I can sense part of his thoughts(2). He's preoccupied with the abduction of two of the kids we saw, friends of his. The older girl's called Ilia, and the blonde-haired kid is Colin." She looked up at Harry. "We'll get him out of the Twilight Realm. With any luck, he might revert back to normal. If not, well, we'll head back to his village. They have a sword and a shield there he might use once he's back to normal. Then, we'll try to deal with the Light Spirits."

Harry nodded, before thinking about the teenager that this wolf had been before changing. How he had the Triforce of Courage on his hand. Which meant he was chosen by the Goddesses.

Harry sighed. _Sucks to be us, doesn't it?_ he thought, looking at the wolf ruefully…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Harry and Midna meet Zelda, and have now snagged Link. But while Midna and Harry won't be taking Link to meet Zelda (I get the feeling Midna did so in canon because Link was already at Hyrule Castle, and wanted to have Zelda bring Link up to speed), this won't mean that Link and Zelda won't eventually meet…or that Zelda won't be taking part in the adventure. I've got plans for her, plans that involve Sheikh…**

 **And yes, we have a talking Link. Get over it.**

 **1\. I couldn't resist this.**

 **2\. How did Midna in the game know about Colin and Ilia, and what they looked like? She could have witnessed their kidnapping, but given how Midna seems able to read Wolf Link's mind at times, I made it more literal. There'll be an explanation in a later chapter, as well as why she couldn't read Harry or Zelda's mind.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Two Heroes

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **THE TWO HEROES**

Once they had left the Twilight (the teenager remaining as a wolf, to Midna's mild surprise), Midna changed into a shadowy version of herself, before hiding in Harry's shadow. She then said, " _I'll always be shadowing you, Harry._ " She chuckled a little at her joke. Harry did so as well, knowing full well that there was precious little humour in it. Much of her humour was a means of coping with her reduced circumstances. Had she become an imp, he reckoned she might have been more obnoxious, if only as a coping mechanism.

As Harry carried the wolf using a Levicorpus spell, Midna muttered, in her musical lilt, " _I'm wondering why I can't read your mind, but I can read his. Or Zelda's for that matter._ "

"Maybe it's Occlumency," Harry said. "Or something like it."

" _Occlu-what?_ "

"It's basically a method of protecting yourself against mental attack. I was, well, _theoretically_ , taught how to use it. Of course, my teacher was an arsehole of the highest order. He only helped me because he had been infatuated with my mother. Don't get me wrong, he was a brave man to do what he did, but he was also a nasty bastard. I think some of his teachings managed to stick, though," Harry said. "As for Zelda, maybe she gets taught those things, or maybe it's the Triforce of Wisdom."

" _Hmm. Do you reckon you could take down these Occlumency things for a bit? It's not that I don't trust you, it's more out of curiosity. Frankly, I'm in your debt, and I make it a point not to owe debts._ " In a confidential whisper, she added, " _I don't like it when the big burly guys come around to take your stuff._ "

"You're royalty!" Harry laughed. "Or nobility, or whatever. How can your stuff get repossessed?"

" _My stuff never got repossessed, but there was this one noble…well, while it's a funny story, it's also a long one, and we don't have the time. Can you please let me in?_ "

Harry, after a moment's thought, did so. Despite the relatively short period of their acquaintance, Harry trusted her more than he would have trusted Snape, even if he had still been alive. And to her credit, Midna was gentle. It was like a cool, velvet glove running through the insides of his skull. An eerie sensation, to be sure, but compared to what Snape and Voldemort did, it was far, far better by comparison. Then, Midna's presence recoiled, and she murmured, " _Oh, Harry_ …"

Harry frowned as they began crossing a bridge. "What did you see?"

"… _The cupboard. The lies. The abuse. It is a good thing that they are beyond my reach, lest they feel the wrath of the Twilight Princess. The same goes for Dumbledore, for leaving you there. I know you still think highly enough of him, and he's dead, but that means little to me. If we were still in Twilight, I would hug you, for a long time._ "

For a moment, Harry nearly rejected her pity. But it was more than pity. She was angry on his behalf, angry that he had to go through all of that, and genuinely empathetic. Instead, he said, "I'll hold you to that."

An ethereal giggle. " _You should feel privileged. The Twilight Princess does not give out intimate gestures freely._ "

Harry saw the wolf beginning to stir, and said, "We'll talk about that later. Our maybe-ally is about to wake."

The wolf opened his blue eyes, and began to panic, snarling and growling. "Hey, calm down, mate," Harry said. "You're…safe, for want of a better term. Well, not really safe, but safer than you were with those Shadow Beast things."

The wolf stopped snarling, but gave him a sceptical look. Harry sighed. "Look, if I put you down…not like that, obviously, but if I let you down to the ground, you're going to listen, okay?"

The wolf, after a moment, nodded. Harry lowered him to the ground, and cancelled the spell. "Hey, Midna, did you happen to catch this guy's name when you were reading his thoughts earlier?"

The wolf's eyes widened when Midna's shadowy form stepped out from Harry's shadow. " _Yeah. His name is Link. Kind of a dull name, really._ " Link, as the teenager-turned-wolf seemed to be called, growled slightly.

"Don't worry, Link. My name is Harry, so I can't talk about dull names. Link, this is Midna. She's an inhabitant of the Twilight Realm, hence why she has to hide in my shadow. She's also opposing the guy behind those Shadow Beasts. And it seems that you and I are alike, in that the Goddesses like to make us their playthings."

Link cocked his head, but then, the two of them heard a groan of pain. Harry and Link (with Midna retreating into Harry's shadow once more) dashed over, to find a blonde-haired man with a short beard groaning. A sword was by his side.

Midna hissed, " _Link recognises this guy. Apparently he's an old friend of Link's father, and thus Link's father figure. Wolf-boy there is an orphan. Anyway, this guy's name is Rusl, and he's the father of Colin._ "

Harry nodded, before using whatever healing magic he could to help Rusl. Soon, Rusl was conscious again, his eyes flickering open. "Who…who are…" Seeing Link, or the wolf that was Link, behind him, he shoved Harry aside. "Monster!" he snarled, drawing his sword.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry yelled while waving his wand, causing the sword Rusl was brandishing at the wolf to go flying. Harry then put himself between Rusl and Link. "Dammit, the first thing you do upon being healed is attack the animal who would have been finishing you off if he was actually wild."

Rusl stared at Link, and then at Harry. "Is it yours? Have you tamed a wolf? Are you with those bastards who stole our children?"

"No to all of the above. Rusl, was it? Look, I'm a stranger to these parts. I know who is behind the abduction of your children, though why he did so, I've no idea. However, there's more urgent news. Hyrule Castle has fallen, and Princess Zelda is the prisoner of Zant, the would-be King of the Twilight Realm. He's blanketing much of the realm in Twilight. Anyway, my name is Harry. I am the Champion of the true Twlight Ruler, Midna. And, well, believe it or not, but the wolf there is Link."

Rusl stared at the blue-eyed wolf, before saying, "What deceit is this?"

Harry sighed. "Link, is there any way you can convince this guy who you are?"

Link barked, before going over to a patch of soil, and scraping some symbols into it. "H-E-L-L-O-R-U-S-L," Rusl read out, before his eyes widened. "Hello Rusl?!"

Link barked, before wiping away the message, and scraping some more letters into it with his paw. "Still…owe…you…10…Rupees…oh, _Link!_ "

"What's that about?" Harry asked.

"Link owed me 10 rupees. He needed to get milk in a hurry." Rusl knelt down near Link. "Din's Fire, Link, what happened to you?"

"Long story short, he was brought into the Faron Woods, as Twilight now blankets that area," Harry said. "Most people turn into insubstantial spirits, but those chosen by the Goddesses either retain their body like myself or Zelda…or get turned into a beast. I don't understand how it works myself, only that Link and I have pretty much got shat upon by destiny."

Midna suddenly separated herself from Harry, eliciting a yelp of surprise from Rusl. " _It's all very well, Harry, to dwell on the injustice and all that, but we need to get going!_ "

"What is this?" Rusl demanded.

The shadowy form of Midna put her hands on her hips. " _How rude. I am Midna, the true ruler of the Twilight Realm. Anyway, listen, we need a sword and a shield for this one. Once he gets back to normal, he's going to need some means of protecting himself._ "

"We have a spare sword and shield in the village…" After a moment, Rusl said, "I'll go and fetch the sword and the shield. The others won't understand. I'll tell them that I found you, but cursed. I'll only tell Mayor Bo the whole story. Once the Twilight-infested region is gone, I'll go and see if I can track down some friends. I beg you, keep an eye out for our children."

Rusl left. Some minutes after he did so, they heard an ethereal voice. _Champions of Light and Twilight, Hidden Princess of Twilight…this way_.

Harry and Link (Midna retreating once more into Harry's shadow) made their way to a nearby spring, the Ordon Spring, where the voice had come from, only to find a Shadow Beast loping around. Harry instantly blasted it, but this didn't kill it, merely sending it flying. With a snarl, Link leapt onto it, and tore its throat out. Link, even as a wolf, looked horrified at what he had done, as black ichor gushed from the Shadow Beast's ruined throat, before it dissolved into a mass of black squares that sped into the sky.

A ball of light rose from the spring, a scintillating, warping thing that soon seemed to form an animal-like form around it. The orb was soon between the horns of a goat-like creature, made entirely of light.

The ethereal, androgynous voice spoke again. _Champions of Light and Twilight, and the Hidden Princess of Twilight…I am Ordona, the Light Spirit who governs this region of Hyrule_.

"Hello," Harry said. "We were told to seek out the Light Spirit of Faron by Zelda."

 _Indeed. Faron has fallen, but his essence still remains, and he can be restored. It is beyond my power to remove the curse from the Champion of Light yet. Once Faron is restored, he will help you gain access to the dark power the Hidden Princess seeks. But beware, for this dark power was sealed for a reason. Restore this land to the light, and vanquish the usurper king…_

They left the spring, to find Rusl walking to them, a shield and a sword in hand. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing," Rusl said.

Midna emerged from Harry's shadow, and peered at them, before shrugging. " _Yeah, they'll have to do. Thanks for the loan._ " She snapped her fingers, and the sword and shield vanished into a shadow dimension.

"If nobody tries to clear out the Twilight, I don't think those things are going to be of much use anyway. Promise me this: I know this is somewhat out of your depth, but keep an eye out for the children, please."

" _We will, but there's no guarantee we will come across them,_ " Midna said. " _I don't know why they got kidnapped, but something tells me that they weren't doing so to take hostages. Anyway, we'll do what we can._ "

"Thank you. I wish you luck…"

* * *

Just outside Faron Woods, in part of Hyrule Field not blanketed by Twilight, Zant was not in a good mood. He was struggling to keep calm when King Bulblin presented the five brats. He would have pinched the bridge of his nose, but it was somewhat hard with the helmet on, and he didn't want to lose dignity in front of these cretins. Instead, as calmly as he could manage, he asked, "Why these five?"

"Five was all we could carry," King Bulblin grunted.

Zant had to resist the urge to facepalm. _I cannot believe this. I ordered them to kidnap the children of Ordon Village because my master sensed the Triforce of Courage sleeping within one of the children there. And not one of them was marked with the Triforce of Courage. One of my Shadow Beasts did report finding a boy who turned into a wolf in the Twilight, but it would have been here by now, and I could have brought him to Hyrule Castle, and use these ones as hostages. Maybe I still can. But first, I need to make an example so that this imbecile knows how badly he fucked up_.

Zant gestured at one of the Bulblins, and it began convulsing and screeching, its skin bulging and rippling grotesquely…until it exploded in a shower of gore. The children, with the exception of the older girl (who was still unconscious, from a poisoned arrow from the Bulblins), shrieked with fear. The sound was unpleasant, but the fear itself was delectable.

Zant pointed at King Bulblin, who seemed unperturbed that one of his minions had died, though it was hard to tell with that piggish face and the masked helmet he wore. " _You_ screwed up by not finding the real Bearer! And now, you have these useless brats as burdens! I'll take the girl. You take the others to Eldin Province, to Kakariko. Leave them there for the time being."

King Bulblin proffered the oldest boy, who whimpered. Zant sighed. "I said _the girl_. The oldest one. The one who's unconscious."

He was given the girl, and Zant pointed towards Eldin. "What are you waiting for? Go! And you'd better have good news for me when you get back!"

There was only the faintest glint of resentment in King Bulblin's eyes as he rode off. Zant couldn't care less. Instead, he summoned a portal to Hyrule Castle, taking the girl with him. If this one had any true connection to the Bearer of the Triforce of Courage, then maybe he could use that to his advantage…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So Link, Harry and Midna have teamed up, and Zant's making plans.**

 **This is one of the most frustrating plot holes for me in** ** _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_** **. Why were the children kidnapped, only to be left at Kakariko Village? And why was Ilia separated from them? I've decided that this was why: Zant gave orders for the children to be kidnapped in order to find Link, only for the Bulblins to fuck up. He took Ilia with him because he thought there was a chance that Link might have affection for her. I'll explain later how she came to end up at Old Kakariko, as well as why King Bulblin decided to try and kidnap Colin later in the game.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 4: We Are the Champions

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS**

Over the next hour or so, Harry was reminded of the hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes in miniature. Only, instead of hunting down artifacts tainted by Voldemort's evil, he was looking for holy light stolen by hideous bugs that only those tainted by Twilight could see (namely, the three of them, though Link had to use his lupine senses), and fill a special receptacle with said light. They had to fight Twilight-infested variations of creatures who normally hung out around here. Midna, at least, was in her element, wielding her sword with élan and grace.

At one point, they noted a segment of bridge that had somehow ended up leaning against a cliff. The three of them made a note of it, just in case they found where they could put it later.

Soon, they had filled said receptacle, and made their way back to Faron's Spring. Midna griped that she was going to have to hide in Harry's shadow again. Harry remarked, perhaps a little too glibly, that he was grateful to have such a beautiful woman literally shadowing him. This had embarrassed her somewhat, and he regretted saying it. Midna was normally quite self-assured and acid-tongued, but beneath the surface, she was insecure, partly thanks to Zant's _coup d'etat_.

Even so, shortly before they reached the spring, Midna called a halt. Then, after a brief, but uncomfortable pause, she embraced Harry in a hug. He stiffened, startled by the sudden gesture, but she said, "What, you've forgotten already? Damn, you have a bad memory. I told you, didn't I? That when we were in Twilight again, I would hug you, for a long time?"

Harry, after a moment, relaxed and returned the embrace. He could feel the warmth of her skin beneath her thin robe. "…Thanks."

Midna giggled, the sound almost like the tinkling of windchimes. "It's a privilege to be granted an intimate gesture by a Twilight Ruler. But…given what I saw what you went through in your life…you've earned that privilege a hundredfold."

* * *

As Twilight faded, and Midna once again merged with Harry's shadow, yet another Light Spirit formed around a scintillating sphere of light. This one looked like a squirrel, or a monkey, or even a lemur. As it peered at them, it spoke once more to them. _Champions of Light and Twilight, and the Hidden Princess…you have restored me and these lands. For that, you have my gratitude. Already it is clear to me that the Champion of Light is heir to the legacy of the Hero_.

Next to Harry, the teenaged Link spoke. "Umm, I think you may have the wrong guy. I'm a farmhand from Ordon Village, not a soldier."

 _Heroes oft come from the most unlikely of places. Whether it be from fields and farmland, or from desert and desolation, from sea and sky, they can come from anywhere, and from any station in life. You bear the brand of the Triforce of Courage on your hand, the sign that you have been chosen by the gods to do their will. And now that you have been cleansed, you are now garbed in the raiment of the Hero_.

Harry blinked, before turning to Link. "Raiment? What do you think he meant by…what the hell happened to your clothes?!"

Link was now standing in what seemed to be more warrior-like garb, albeit with a pointy, brimless hat and tunic, all green. Underneath the green was a glimpse of chainmail. Link was staring at his new clothes in astonishment. "How did…what the…?"

 _This is the garb of the Hero. It was meant for you. You seek the dark power, the next fragment of the Fused Shadows that the Hidden Princess wields? Then seek out the Forest Temple. Cleanse the foul beast from within. But be warned: the Fused Shadow is not a power to seek lightly. It is very much an accursed power, sealed for a reason_.

The Light Spirit faded, before Link could mount any further protest. Harry clapped a friendly hand onto the teenaged boy's shoulder. "Yeah, sucks to be us right now, eh?"

Link sagged a little, before Harry summoned the shield and sword for him from the shadow dimension Midna sealed them in. Gratefully, Link donned them. "Who are you, anyway?" Link asked.

"You wouldn't know me. Like Midna, I come from another world entirely. Harry Potter, at your service."

"I'm Link. What do you mean, another world? Do you come from the Twilight Realm? You don't look like her. You look like a normal person."

"Yeah, well, I don't come from the Twilight Realm, or Hyrule. I come from a world where magic is hidden. I also got branded by the Goddesses," Harry said, holding up his hand to show Link the brand of the Hallows. "Like I said, sucks to be us. We've got to do the dirty work for these guys."

"And Midna."

"Yeah, well, she's all right when you get to know her. And she kicks arse, at least when she's not a shadowy spectre."

Midna appeared from his shadow. " _You flatter me, Harry_ ," she said with a smirk. She then turned her eyes to Link. " _Nice to meet you as a human, Link. You're certainly easier on the eyes when you're not a wolf. Anyway, look, we'd better stop jabbering and start moving. Your friends may be being held at the Forest Temple, for all we know. And we do have to get the next Fused Shadow. Preferably before Zant gets an idea of what we're doing._ "

"But who is this Zant guy? What's going on?"

"We'll explain along the way," Harry said. "Like Midna said, we're on the clock…"

* * *

Harry felt a lot of sympathy for Link. And unlike Harry, who had been adventuring since he was 11, so to speak, most of Link's adventures were going into the Faron Woods. Link hadn't even travelled much, going to Hyrule Castle maybe once in his life, and to Kakariko Village maybe twice. Poor kid was out of his depth, despite the fact that he was actually nearly Harry's age.

As they made their way through a tunnel, Link said, "So, this Zant guy usurped Midna, the true Twilight Ruler, and is trying to blanket Hyrule in Twilight. And he may be influenced by another guy called Ganondorf, who has the Triforce of Power? And Zelda's a prisoner in her own castle."

"That just about sums it up," Harry said.

"But why abduct Ilia and Colin, or any of the other kids? Why not take me as well?"

"Buggered if I know," Harry remarked. "Good questions, though. Wish I had the answers. I certainly wouldn't keep them from you, unlike a certain old goat." On Link's look, Harry said, hastily, "Long story. My mentor loved hoarding information. Had a very long beard. Loved sherbet lemons. Candy, I mean. Appalling taste in clothes and mercy, though."

Link nodded, a little uncertainly. "I'm a little worried, though. Faron said that I am the heir to the Hero, right? Did he mean the Hero of Time?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. I've only just come to this world, I know so little about its history and mythology, really. And I hate prophecies and divine declarations with a passion." He looked to Link. "Back home, on my own world, there was a prophecy about my birth, that I would defeat this evil wizard called Voldemort. That screwed my life over something fierce. Voldemort killed my parents, and tried to kill me. Thanks to something my mother did, Voldemort ended up becoming a disembodied spirit, and I got this neat little scar," he concluded, pointing to the jagged, lightning bolt scar. "All not long after I turned one. They called me the Boy Who Lived because I was the first person to survive that curse."

Link chuckled. "I know what that's like, being an orphan. I can't remember my parents, they died when I was a toddler. Rusl and Uli raised me from a young age."

"And Rusl loved you," Harry said. "I guess Uli does too."

Link nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"My aunt and uncle hated my guts. I had magic in a world where it was hidden, and they were obsessed with appearing 'normal'." Harry looked at Link's pointed ears, so different to those of Rusl, before remarking, "They wouldn't have liked you, either. People with pointed ears don't exist on our world, and if they saw you turning into a wolf…"

"Point taken," Link said, tugging at his ear. "Rusl told me that the ears are the mark of Hylian blood. Hylians are like normal people, but with a better command of magic and the ability to 'speak with the gods'. Other than the Light Spirits, well…haven't heard a peep."

"Who knows, you could meet the Goddesses. They're actually nice-looking and good-natured. Shame they diddle around with people's destinies, though. Anyway, you said something about the Hero of Time, right? You know much about that?"

"Only a few stories. Supposedly, the Hero lived not far from here, in the woods, with the Children of the Forest, the Kokiri. He ventured forth, being told to talk to Princess Zelda. It's a tradition to name princesses of Hyrule Zelda. But here's where things get confusing. Supposedly, the Hero warned Zelda that he had travelled back and forth through time, and had come back to warn her about the evil of someone called Ganondorf, a Gerudo thief. You mentioned Ganondorf earlier. How is he still alive?"

"Same way you turn into a wolf rather than a spirit in the Twilight Realm: the Triforce segment you have."

Link chuckled nervously. "Well, if it's meant to be the Triforce of Courage, I'm not feeling much at the moment. Saving the kids from some Bokoblins is one thing. Saving Hyrule from some mad usurper king? I am definitely not ready for this."

"Believe me, Link, nobody is ready for this shit. I speak from experience. But, well, we're here. Might as well get on with it…"

* * *

Zant grinned viciously beneath his mask. The girl, Ilia, had been a font of knowledge, once he had hypnotised her to get her to stop with all the screaming. She was a friend of the chosen wielder of the Triforce of Courage, though she had thought it little more than a strange birthmark. And she had feelings for him. Though she was often annoyed at how cavalierly she thought he treated his horse.

He had brought her to the old Kakariko Village, where he kept one of the last surviving Sheikah, a decrepit old crone called Impaz. He needed some quiet and privacy to do his work, so he kept the girl in another house while he interrogated her.

Eventually, after he learned everything he could from the girl, he removed the hypnotic state from her, so that he could savour her terror properly. She blinked, as if awakening, before her eyes widened. "You! What did you do to me?"

"A touch of hypnosis, my dear girl," Zant said. "Just enough to get the information I required from you. It seems that your friend Link was the one I was after, but that idiot King Bulblin and his minions didn't take him. And while I am fairly confident that he won't make it far enough to be a threat to my plans, well, I like to hedge my bets wherever possible. Which is where you come in."

"I'd rather die than help you kill Link!" Ilia snarled.

The girl had spirit, Zant had to admit. Perhaps even more so than Zelda. "Well, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. People who say they'd rather die than help me either end up dying, or helping me anyway. Case in point…" He hit her with a full-power hypnotic attack. Ilia screamed in pain, struggling against his control. But she soon succumbed.

Zant chuckled. Ilia was a backup plan more than anything else. Link trusted her. Perhaps he even loved her. At the very least, they were good friends. And that meant that Ilia could get close to Link, close enough to assassinate him. His master had warned him to either capture or kill the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

Once he felt Ilia was needed, he would send her Link's way. There would be a reunion to warm the cockles of the heart…following by a knife right into said organ. The thought made him giggle softly.

And what of Midna, and that light-dweller mage? Where had they ended up? Zant pondered this as Ilia, her programming now complete, fell into a deep sleep. He had communed with his master about this new arrival, and Ganondorf had been disturbed. He only knew of one Hero, not two. And if those two teamed up with Link, then they may prove to be even more troublesome than just one Hero.

Well, no matter. Midna was sure to try and track down the decrepit remnants of the Fused Shadows, while Zant's power was even greater than that. Soon, he'd be able to deal with them as he saw fit. And his dominion over Hyrule would be absolute…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Link talks and Zant plots. Anyway, next chapter, we'll be skipping to the end of the Forest Temple dungeon. I have no desire to recount what happens verbatim in each and every dungeon.**

 **This bit with Zant and Ilia is the beginning of my personal explanation as to how Ilia ends up with amnesia in the game, as well as how she ended up meeting Impaz.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Lupine Horror** **: Agreed wholeheartedly.**

 **Still Not Dead Yet** **: In the game, Midna seems to be able to discern who Link is concerned about, but there's no definitive proof that she witnessed Colin and Ilia being kidnapped. Given that Midna, as the Twilight Princess, has some innate abilities (like to annihilate the Mirror of Twilight), it's not unreasonable that she has some ability. It would certainly make understanding Wolf Link all the more easier.**

 **Have a Little Feith** **: Arggh. I always thought it was 'Naryu'. Dammit, dammit, dammit…I've replaced it upon seeing your review.**

 **No numbered annotations.**


	6. Chapter 5: Three Become Four

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **THREE BECOME FOUR**

Link and Harry peered at the worn stone of the Fused Shadow fragment. "Is this it?" Link asked. "This is what we were looking for?"

Midna nodded, her shadowy form taking it and putting it into a shadow dimension. " _A Fused Shadow. It must have mutated a normal Deku Baba into that…thing._ "

Link shuddered, and Harry winced. Deku Babas were annoying enough at the best of times, being flesh-eating plants that tended to attack at the worst possible time. That thing they had just fought was a monster, a massive man-eating plant that they had to force-feed bomb plants. Thankfully, that big baboon they had fought and freed from a Twilight parasite's control helped, as did the Gale Boomerang Link took from said baboon. So too did a few Incendio spells.

The massive creature was only the capstone, though, to a series of annoying events within the Forest Temple. They had to help a tribe of monkeys who had been captured by Bokoblins within the Temple, and the locks on the various doors had been enchanted against an _Alohamora_ spell. Aforementioned baboon kept attacking them and blocking their way while under the influence of the Twilight parasite. And they had to deal with a number of nasty beasts, including massive spiders that would have made Ron shit himself to death. But between Harry's experience, Midna's remarks, and Link's ability in battle, they made it through.

Link was definitely a Gryffindor, Harry thought. While very much out of his depth, he also adapted to situations quickly, and had a good mind for using items in unusual ways. His bravery and valour was certainly better than it seemed. And it was confirmed, just before they entered the Temple, that he was the chosen successor to the Hero: a golden wolf accosted them, and in a bizarre landscape, they were confronted by the wolf's true form. The Hero of Time, now little more than a shade, offered to teach Link new sword techniques.

Link looked askance at Midna. "The Light Spirits said that this was a forbidden power. It turned a Deku Baba into that monster. What's it going to do to us?"

" _Nothing_ ," Midna replied. She pointed to the Fused Shadow on her head. " _This is another part of the complete Fused Shadow. My people were the ones to originally use it, so it is safe for me to use. Don't be so skittish, Link. I know what I'm doing._ "

"At least she's being honest with you," Harry said. "Dumbledore kept a lot of info from me."

"Yeah, but the others weren't here," Link said, morosely. "Ilia, Colin, and the other kids. They must've been taken somewhere else."

Midna shrugged, summoning a portal and placing it on the ground. " _Sorry. We got a few good things out of this, though. I got the Fused Shadow, you got the Gale Boomerang and sword techniques from the Hero's Shade. All of which will come in handy. I've set the portal to send us to Faron's Spring. He'll tell us where to go next._ "

"If the rest of Hyrule's blanketed in Twilight, then it'll probably be Eldin Province next," Link said. "I've been to Kakariko maybe a couple of times in my life. Rusl took me there."

" _We'll talk to Faron first to make sure_ ," Midna said. " _Let's go._ "

* * *

As it turned out, Link's guess was right on the money. However, before they set out for Eldin Province, Link asked to go back to Ordon Village. He wanted to check on Rusl and the others, as well as let them know that the Twilight had been banished from Faron Woods.

Mayor Bo, a rotund man who nonetheless had some strength behind his suet, was discussing matters with Rusl when Link and Harry came to the town. He turned, and frowned. "Link! Rusl told me of that cursed form you had. Is there any news?"

Link shook his head. "The Woods are free from Twilight, but apparently we are to clear the Twilight from Eldin Province."

"Kakariko and Death Mountain," Bo mused. He looked at Harry. "You must be the boy who claimed to be the Champion of Twilight, with a spectre in his shadow. I am Mayor Bo."

"Harry Potter," Harry said, with a nod. The man was cautious, but he at least didn't have that timidity Fudge had, which endeared him to Harry already. "I don't know why your children were abducted, Mayor Bo, but we will do our best to find them."

Bo nodded. "If you can find them, you have my thanks. What of the spirit who dogs your steps?"

Midna appeared, startling Bo. " _Right here! Hey, don't pee your pants, Mister Mayor. Besides, I'm only a spectre in your realm. Otherwise, the light would burn me. We'll try to find your kids, but getting rid of the Twilight is the priority._ "

"I understand, but please keep your eyes and ears open," Bo pleaded. "Renaldo, the leader of Kakariko Village, is an old friend of mine. If the children are there, or nearby, they can be left in his care. Rusl told me that Princess Zelda is the prisoner of Zant. If Hyrule Castle has fallen, then he is a fearsome foe indeed. Do you have any plan to deal with him?"

Midna nodded. " _We're working on that. Thankfully, Zant seems to have blanketed areas in Twilight near where items I require reside. The problem is, Zant has held the people of Hyrule to ransom to force Zelda into being his prisoner._ "

Harry frowned as he thought about something. "Maybe I can deal with that. I mean, I don't know whether I could do something about that, but I'm going to give it a shot." He plucked the Elder Wand out, and frowned. Suddenly, it felt like he understood everything about the spell he was considering. His eyes widened. "It might be worth a shot. Midna, the Triforce of Wisdom, would it be of any use to us?"

" _I don't know enough about the lore of the Triforce, Harry_ ," Midna said, crossing her arms. " _It was thanks to our greed and the accursed Goddesses that we were sealed in the Twilight Realm, remember? We only knew of the power of the Triforce, not what each segment held. The only person who might know is Zelda herself._ "

"But would Zelda be an asset to us?"

Rusl looked at them. "Zelda has been trained in the use of sword and spellcraft from a young age. There are even rumours that she was tutored by one of the few remaining members of the Sheikah. She may look an elegant princess, but she could command an army, or fight at its head if need be. And the Sheikah were master infiltrators and assassins. It was said that with a simple spell, they could disguise themselves completely."

Harry nodded. "Then it's only the threat of her people getting exterminated that's the problem. And I think I can deal with that. I mean, if Zant can't find Hyrule Castle Town, then he can't kill the inhabitants. I'll do the same with Ordon and, once we reach it, Kakariko Village."

"And Death Mountain and Zora's Domain," Rusl pointed out. "If you can do that with your magic, then you should conceal those as well. No sense to allow the Zoras and the Gorons to suffer Zant's wrath."

" _Assuming they haven't already_ ," Midna muttered. " _Zora's Domain, if I recall correctly, is one of the biggest sources of fresh water in Hyrule. Mess with that, and you can demoralise, if not kill much of the population of Hyrule. We'll deal with those as we come across them. Harry, what did you have in mind?_ "

"A modification of the Fidelius Charm. Basically, you can hide a location or a person, and the secret, in the standard spell, is locked within a single person called the Secret Keeper. Only the Secret Keeper can tell anyone else where the location or person is. With me so far?"

Midna nodded eagerly. " _I've heard of this charm! It was often used to conceal valuables in the Twilight Realm! It's even been used to conceal certain rooms within the Twilight Palace. But the secret was lost a couple of centuries before. But how do you know it?_ "

"I…I had this odd feeling. This wand is the Elder Wand, one of the three artifacts stolen from Hyrule by my ancestors," Harry explained. "It was said to be an invincible wand. I call bullshit, frankly, as it seemed to switch allegiances as long as you defeat the prior owner. I'm keeping my first wand, obviously, but something about this wand…whispered to me. Telling me what it had learned from masters before it. And it seemed to indicate that a Fidelius Charm could be modified so that it would work not only over an entire village or town, but also to make sure the inhabitants and normal visitors don't have to be told the secret. But they can't divulge it to Zant."

" _I see_ ," Midna said. " _You conceal Hyrule Castle Town, along with any other vulnerable areas, with this modified Fidelius. If Zant can't find the people he wishes to attack, then he can't retaliate if Zelda leaves the castle. And with any luck, Zelda will help us._ "

"Then let's give it a try," Harry said. "I'll include Faron Woods in the Fidelius on this village."

Midna nodded, but Harry could see something in her eyes. Something that seemed like frustration.

* * *

The Fidelius spell, as far as Harry could make out, was a success. He certainly felt _something_ getting locked away deep within him. After making their goodbyes, Harry, Midna, and Link decided to head to Hyrule Castle Town. Rusl asked to hitch a ride, and after some thought, Midna agreed. She warned him that he would become a discorporate spirit, and he would be unable to see Harry, Link, or Midna until they removed the Twilight. It meant they had to make a side trip before meeting Zelda.

They watched as Rusl, turned into a spirit, hurried off. He told them that, once the Twilight had been lifted, to meet him at Telma's Bar. Harry then used the modified Fidelius once more, and felt the same sensation as before. Link had become a wolf again, and Midna was once more in her physical form. Putting her hands on her hips, she muttered, "Do you think this'll work? I mean, if this doesn't, we've just condemned a lot of people to their deaths when Zant comes calling. Not that I care so much about the light-dwellers, but…"

"You care, you liar," Harry retorted. "They're people, just as much as yours are. And when we were talking to Zelda, you said you understood her surrendering to keep her people safe. Not to mention you said you'd keep an eye out for the kids taken from Ordon."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't presume you know what I'm thinking, Harry. I'm trying to regain my throne."

"We're trying to stop Zant. Getting your throne back flows naturally from that," Harry said. "Midna…I know you care. I mean, that'd be one of the reasons you were made the Twilight Ruler originally, right? Because you care about people. Zant doesn't. You cared about me. You gave me a hug when you saw my memories. And yet, I'm a 'light-dweller'."

Midna looked away. Eventually, she admitted, "Zant's not the only one who envies the light. The Twilight Realm is beautiful, true, but…it's also a prison. A whole world as a prison. So long have we spent in the Twilight Realm that, if we were to walk in the full light of day in Hyrule, we would burn just like a vampire would. The light of a Light Spirit would poison us lethally. In order to be here, I have to be a shade outside of Twilight." She looked into Harry's eyes, her own glistening with tears. "I envy you, Harry. You can walk in both Twilight and the light. Even Link can do so, though he becomes a beast. Whereas I have to be part of your shadow in the light. I want to be able to see Hyrule, to be able to feel the sun without it burning like fire, to smell the flowers…and to fight alongside you. As a shadow, I can do little, except use a little magic. Only in Twilight can I fight alongside you, do anything useful." With a sudden scowl, she screamed up at the sky, "You bitches want us to do your dirty work, fine! I'm doing it for my people! But you are cruel and heartless. You dump it all on us, a deposed princess, a weary wizard, and a farm boy who's so out of his depth, it isn't funny! And I can't even help much in the light! How am I supposed to help out when I'm just a shadow?!"

As if in response, a tower of Hyrule Castle seemed to shine in what looked like a ray of sunlight. "That's Zelda's tower, isn't it?" Harry asked.

Midna nodded grimly. "Might as well get on with it…" she muttered with a resigned tone.

* * *

Another teleport, and they were near the tower. This time, they encountered the guard, a Twilit Bokoblin. As Zant should not be able to find Hyrule Castle again, in theory, they decided to deal with it.

As they entered, Zelda was looking out of the window again, her hood up. "A most ingenious magic, Harry Potter," she said quietly. "Of the sort the ancient Interlopers used, but for the good of all. The Wand of Din has come home. Better it be in your service than that of its previous masters, or that of Ganondorf." She turned to face them, only to frown when she saw the wolf accompanying them. She removed her hood, and examined Link, and then the Triforce brand on her hand, which glowed gently. "I see. So this is the chosen of Farore?"

Midna nodded. "His name is Link. He's a bit out of his depth, but he's got a good head on his shoulders, and he's handy in a fight, as a wolf and as a human. Still not happy with the Goddesses, though."

"They spoke to me shortly before you arrived. They understand your frustration, Midna. The spell you cast will buy us time, but if Ganondorf is the one behind Zant, then he may be able to break the spell by brute force. With the Triforce of Power, he may be able to do so. But it will take time. And he desires the other segments of the Triforce, so he will need Link and I alive, and will command Zant to keep us alive." She walked over to Harry. "Your hand, please. The one with the sign of the Hallows."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"As one who dwells in the light, but whose ancestors included the Interlopers who became the Twili, you are a conduit between the worlds. The sign of the Hallows, as your world calls them, allows you to exist freely within these worlds. And with the right spell…I can grant Midna some of my light. Normally, this would be a dangerous procedure for me, as it may cause all of my soul to enter Midna, but the sign of the Hallows will act as a catalyst." She took his hand with her own, the one with her Triforce brand, and then, with her other hand, took Midna's, and placed it on top of the branded hands.

"What will this do?" Midna asked.

"It will allow you to walk in the light without retreating to shadow," Zelda said. She then closed her eyes. Harry felt something flowing from her into his hand, into the brand, and then into Midna. After some time, it ceased, and Zelda removed her hand. "It is done. You should be even able to withstand the light of a Light Spirit now, Midna."

Midna looked at her hand, before saying, "I don't feel any different." She then looked at Zelda. "So, now that we have concealed Hyrule Castle Town, do you feel up to coming with us?"

"Princess Zelda cannot leave her people," Zelda said. But before they could say anything, Zelda closed her eyes, and concentrated. A blizzard of scintillating blue lights surrounded her, enveloping her form and concealing it. When the light cleared, the three others gaped, for Zelda had changed completely.

She was dressed in a figure-hugging bodysuit of blue and black, with a white cloth covering much of her torso, with a weeping eye-like symbol outlined in red. Her hair, now a short blonde colour, poked out from beneath a rough white bandanna, while similar cloth concealed her mouth. It gave her an androgynous air, her body slender and athletic. Her eyes had changed to a red colour, like fresh blood. And when she spoke, her voice was lower, almost like a teenaged boy.

"But Sheik will join you on your quest."

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Midna gains the ability to walk in the light ahead of schedule, and Zelda has become Sheik! Now, given that Sheik was once considered for inclusion in** ** _Twilight Princess_** **, I thought I'd have Zelda actually participate in the story more by doing this. We need some more kickass Zelda. She's a damsel in distress too often in the series.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Squadpunk 2.0** **: Actually, Ilia gets deprogrammed by Impaz (which is, as far as I am concerned, what happened in the game), but she loses her memory in the process. We will have more Ilia later. Possibly the next chapter.**

 **dragonlordandsword** **: Well, with drama and comedy, obviously. I don't think the readers here want to read every dungeon crawl verbatim, like what puzzles they do, and so on.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Kakariko, Old and New

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **KAKARIKO, OLD AND NEW**

Impaz was old, but while weak in body, especially with her age, there was little wrong with her mind. Zant had thought her cowed by the presence of the Bokoblins to do anything, once he had left Ilia in her care. But Impaz was smart, and she knew more than a few things about brainwashing.

Zant was an excellent brainwasher, though, and Impaz realised that she would have to do something drastic to ensure that Ilia would not become his little time-bomb. It was something she did with considerable reluctance, though.

In order to get rid of Zant's hypnotic spell, Impaz would have to all but wipe Ilia's memory. Not permanently, but temporarily, long enough for Zant's influence to be purged. It involved blocking the girl's memories before wiping Zant's hypnotic suggestions from her mind. Unblocking them, though, needed time, more time than Impaz had. She had to hope that the blocks came undone on their own.

Before she had done so, Impaz had spoken to the girl. Zant's spell was a relatively subtle one. Even when her friend and target, Link, was mentioned, she didn't even indicate she was going to kill him. Obviously, it would be his presence that triggered her trying to kill him. Ilia understood what Impaz was doing, and gave her consent.

Shortly after she had finished, Zant reappeared, and took the girl, cursing about how Link was causing trouble, banishing the Twilight he had placed over Faron Province. The thing was, not long after he left, Impaz felt something settle across her mind. She seemed to forget something very important. It wasn't until she began searching through her mind that she realised what it was.

She didn't know where Hyrule Castle Town or Ordon Village were anymore! And while she was getting on in years, she knew her memory was sharper than ever.

She recognised the magic, too. She knew many kinds of magic, and not just that of the Sheikah tribe she was one of the last descendants of. She knew some of the magic of the infamous Interlopers. And she knew that there was a charm that could be used to hide a person or a place. She had never learned it, but she knew it existed.

At first, she thought it might be Zant's doing, but she had to wonder why he would do such a thing. On reflection, she thought it was more likely that someone opposing Zant may have done so, to protect those places from him. And if that were true, Impaz thought it was a bloody good idea…

* * *

As they crossed the bridge across Kakariko Gorge (a bridge that Midna had to fetch from within Faron Woods via her Shadow Magic), Harry looked at Sheik. "That's a brilliant transformation. But, well, is that a full-body transformation, or your clothes only?"

"My body gets changed too. I am not unfit as Zelda, but as Sheik, my speed, strength, and stamina are enhanced. However, my identity as Sheik is not well-known outside a chosen few," Sheik said.

"Like a Metamorphagus," Harry speculated.

"Is this another of those things from your world, Harry?" Midna asked.

"Yeah. Think of a Metamorphagus as a shapeshifter. Though what Zelda did seems more like a transfiguration, or maybe like a spell version of Polyjuice Potion. Whereas poor Link has to go through what is basically an involuntary Animagus transformation every time he enters the Twilight Realm. You'd think that being the bearer of the Triforce of Courage means that he's like me."

"The Goddesses are capricious bitches," Midna remarked casually.

"They are the trials required for a hero," Sheik said.

"Dealing with these Twilit creatures is a trial enough when you've got two legs and two arms, Sheik. I've got the feeling Farore wanted a pet doggy."

Midna laughed. "You know, I think you hit the nail on the head, Harry!"

* * *

Din looked over at Farore as the three Goddesses watched the events unfold. "That mortal has your measure, Farore."

"But he's so cute as a wolf!" Farore protested.

"He's cute as a human, sis. Or have you got some sort of dog fetish?" Din asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No," Nayru said. "There is another factor involved. The Hero of Time didn't reincarnate, merely lingering as a shade to pass on his skills to the next Hero. But that does not mean that Link is not a reincarnation. Time and reincarnation are funny things, especially where different dimensions are involved."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Din asked, looking at Nayru.

"You'll see," Nayru said, a faint smile tugging at her mouth.

* * *

Some hours later, Harry stared at the massive bird formed of light, like an owl with the wingspan of an albatross, and muttered to himself, "I miss Hedwig."

They had collected the stolen light of Eldin, the Light Spirit in charge of Eldin Province, and put it into the receptacle, as usual. Between the four of them, they managed to get it done very quickly. Along the way, they found that the remaining people of Kakariko Village had stayed in a massive shrine. Only three inhabitants of Kakariko were left, though they were far from the only ones in that shrine: to Link's delight, four of the kidnapped children were present. Colin, Malo, Talo, and Beth. Colin was expressing hope that Link would come to save them, though a pot-bellied Kakariko native by the name of Barnes scoffed at this.

They also had to climb the aptly-named Death Mountain, encountering a few of the rocky Gorons, who were lamenting having to keep outsiders out. Something, it seemed, had gone wrong with their patriarch, Darbus. Midna was willing to bet that it had something to do with the Fused Shadow fragment they were searching for. They also nearly got hit by a massive spar of red-hot debris that had spewed from Death Mountain.

And now, having returned Eldin's stolen light and banished the Twilight, they were now meeting the Light Spirit, in a spring on the edge of Kakariko. _Champions of Light and Twilight, the Princess of Hyrule, and the Princess of Twilight. I am grateful to you for restoring my lands and my people to their rightful state_.

Midna looked at Eldin. "Y'know, it's weird, actually being corporeal outside of Twilight. Not that I'm complaining, mind. Not to mention talking to a Light Spirit in person without dying. A novel experience, really."

 _I would imagine so. Long has it been since the Interlopers have walked these lands with impunity_ , Eldin said. _You are privileged, Twilight Princess. However, I must admonish you all to take care in your quest. The Fused Shadows are not a power to be sought lightly, and the fragment in these lands have done great harm to the Gorons of Death Mountain. Even now, that dark power lies in wait in their sacred mines_.

"Seems like you called it, Midna," Harry remarked. "Has it affected Darbus?"

 _Indeed. Champions, Princesses, through you, Hyrule and the Twilight Realm has hope. Do not let that light be extinguished_ … Then, Eldin faded.

Before they could discuss what happened, the door to the shrine opened, and a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes peered out. He cheered when he saw Link, only to be promptly bowled over by a dark-haired boy and a girl with light brown hair. A smaller dark-haired boy, rather like a baby walking upright, emerged. They scurried towards Link, the blonde-haired boy following. The three natives of Kakariko soon followed, the pot-bellied Barnes, a tall, dignified man in robes who put Harry in mind of a Native American in terms of looks, and his daughter.

As Link was swarmed by the children from his village, the dignified man approached. "So, you are Link, the one these children spoke of?" the man asked.

Link nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And your travelling companions?" the man asked, his gaze turning to Harry, Midna, and Sheik. He frowned when he saw Sheik. "Lady Sheik," he said, clearly recognising Zelda's alter-ego. "If you are here, then things must be dire indeed."

"They are, Renado," Sheik said. "We are currently working to counter the actions of Zant, the usurper-king of the Twilight Realm."

"The Twilight Realm?" the now-named Renado asked, surprised. "So that's what those beasts were." His eyes went over to Midna. "And yet, you have a Twili accompanying you, it seems."

"This 'Twili' has a name, you know," Midna huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "I am Lady Midna, the Twilight Princess. The rightful ruler of the Twilight Realm, and, incidentally, one of those who just helped banish the Twilight from your town."

"My apologies," Renado said with a bow. He seemed genuine at least. "But those foul beasts slew many of the townsfolk. The others evacuated to Hyrule Castle Town. If they are not your kin, then I apologise for the offence I caused." His eyes went over to Harry. "And what of you? May I have your name?"

"Harry Potter. The Goddesses basically conscripted me into being the Champion of Twilight."

Renado nodded. "I am Renado, the village shaman." He indicated the dark-haired girl next to him. "This is my daughter, Luda." He indicated Barnes. "And this man is Barnes, the bomb-maker. I believe you are acquainted with the children left in our care?"

"Link is," Sheik said. "There were five children abducted, according to Link."

"Ilia was taken from us," Colin, the blonde-haired boy, said. The four children had been talking to Link about what had happened. "Some weird scary guy in armour came along after we were kidnapped."

"He said something about the Bearer," Malo, the toddler who looked like an upright baby, said. His voice was quiet, and a little deeper than one would think for a child his age. His eyes also glittered with intelligence.

Midna looked at Harry, then at Colin. "This guy in the armour, did the helmet have these bulging eyes and this big tongue sticking out?"

The four children nodded. "He was freaky!" Talo, the rambunctious boy with the darker hair, exclaimed. "He exploded one of those things that kidnapped us right in front of us!"

"Zant," Midna hissed. She looked at Link. "That's why he kidnapped the children. Somehow or other, he got wind that you were in the village, and ordered the kidnapping."

Renado came forward, and checked Link's hand, frowning. He looked over at Harry, then came over and checked his hand. "I have not seen a symbol like this before, save for in the most ancient of texts. Some believe it to be even more ancient than the symbol of the Triforce. The Favours of the Goddesses, that symbol is called. It was once a symbol of good luck. So, we have two Bearers, and three who are branded with symbols of the Goddesses."

"Whaddya mean?" Barnes asked. "Don't tell me these guys are all the Goddesses sent to help us out?"

Midna gave the bomb-maker a vicious smirk. "I'm more than enough for the task. Between the four of us, Zant has no chance." It was hyperbole, but Harry, Link, and Sheik knew she was saying it more for these people's benefit (especially the kids') than their own.

"Dunno whether you noticed, Midna or whoever you are, but they have an army," Barnes remarked.

"We have a wolf," Harry joked. Link glared at him.

Renado then turned to Barnes. "Barnes, please head back to your store for the time being. These people may have need of your bombs." As the pot-bellied bomb-maker slouched off, Renado cradled his chin. "Had it been but one of you, I would not burden you with our troubles. However, with the four of you, and with Lady Sheik no less, we may have a possible solution to those troubles."

"What troubles are those?" Sheik asked.

"The Gorons of Death Mountain have closed off the mountain path, destroying the ramps we normally use. Though they are a proud people, they usually aren't like this. And yet, any attempt to parley with them are rebuffed. Although the Gorons tend to respect only strength, the Elders do know of Lady Sheik, and may grant her an audience."

As Sheik nodded, Link looked at them. "Can we rest for a while first? I want to catch up with the kids first."

"Very well," Sheik said. "But we will have to ascend Death Mountain as soon as possible. We cannot dally while the fate of Hyrule hangs in the balance."

"Quest to save the world from a murderous maniac and seeking out artifacts of dark power?" Harry remarked. "Story of my bloody life…" he concluded with a sigh.

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait. Motivation was a little lacking, and I wanted to resolve Ilia's problems as soon as possible. And by the way, there will be a reason for Link being able to turn into a wolf in Twilight…and Zelda's ability with changing appearance. I only thought of it partway through writing this chapter, and it'll give a nice little twist to the story. You'll have to wait until another chapter for the revelation, though I'm sure many of you can make an educated guess…**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: The Gorons of Death Mountain

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **THE GORONS OF DEATH MOUNTAIN**

It was just before Harry was due to cast the modified Fidelius that the Bokoblins came back into town. Thankfully, not _en masse_ : it was only a couple of them, tormenting a magnificent-looking brown horse. Said horse, maddened by their torment, succeeded in bucking them off and trampling them underfoot terminally.

To Harry's surprise, Link, who had been speaking to Colin, recognised the horse with a cry of " _EPONA!_ ", and had fearlessly leapt onto the animal, riding the maddened mare around Kakariko while soothing her, calming her down with his voice. Epona soon recognised her master, and finally calmed down.

As Link rode Epona over to the others, dismounting, Sheik remarked, "A most excellent display of horsemanship, Link. The bond you have with this steed is remarkable."

"Beautiful horse, too," Midna remarked, gently reaching forward. Epona shied away briefly, until she realised that Midna meant her no harm. She then allowed the Twili to stroke her face.

"Ilia and I've raised Epona since I could remember," Link said as Midna gently petted Epona's head, soothing the mare. "Actually, I think Ilia named Epona after the steed of the Hero of Time." He chuckled a little ruefully. "Irony is, I'm now his successor."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask," Harry said. "What's the story behind the Hero of Time? I sort of got scraps of it, but what's the big deal? I just want to know."

Sheik looked at Harry. "Cast your spell, over Kakariko and Death Mountain both, and then, we may talk…"

* * *

Harry frowned as they trudged up the mountain pass. Epona had been left at Kakariko, along with Colin and the children. Midna had gone back briefly to Ordon Village to let the villagers know that their children, save for Ilia, were safe and well. Mayor Bo, on a hunch, gave the Twili a pair of collapsible steel boots, for Link, saying he might need it if the Gorons were being belligerent. "So, the Hero of Time was, improbably, called Link…" Harry mused.

"Not improbably. It's a not uncommon name in our world," Sheik said. "However, the Hero of Time was not the first Link. There were others earlier than that: the first Hero who fought for the Goddess Hylia in order to seal the Demon King Demise(1), and the Hero of Skyloft who fought to save the reincarnation of Hylia, and reclaimed the surface of Hyrule for humans."

"Okay, I stand corrected. But in brief, Link had to face off against Ganondorf, despite being only a kid, and he was known as the Hero of Time because he went back and forth in time in his quest to stop Ganondorf."

"Indeed. The Goddesses once said to the chroniclers of Hyrule that the streams of time have bifurcated into three paths. Perhaps thankfully, we live in a path where the Hero of Time returned to his time, and warned Princess Zelda and the Royal Family about Ganondorf's ambitions. He was then executed."

Midna scowled. "If he's the one behind Zant's ascension, I wouldn't call it lucky."

"Perhaps," Sheik said. "But there are two other paths of history where things have become worse. One where Ganondorf slew the Hero of Time, and another where the Hero of Time defeated Ganondorf, but left for his own time(2). In the latter, Hyrule was drowned beneath the sea to contain Ganondorf when he rose again. However, that is not what concerns us. We need to stop Zant and his ambitions, and Ganondorf along with them."

Harry sighed, before looking at Link. "It seems Fate on this world has a habit of crapping on a great height on anyone named Link."

"Demise is to blame," Sheik said. "According to the chronicles, he cursed the Link and Zelda of Skyloft, claiming that though he would be vanquished, he would make sure an embodiment of his hatred towards them would plague their descendants and reincarnations. I would not be surprised if Ganondorf was that embodiment."

"…That is one seriously sore loser," Harry commented. "Then again, been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt saying ' _My Nemesis Came Back From the Dead, and All I Got Was This Lousy Shirt_ '."

Midna laughed, while Link and Sheik looked at each other in bemusement. Link then looked at Harry. "Has anyone ever told you that you act at times like, well…a madman?"

"Not lately, save for your eyes. But they don't count. Anyway, I'm trying to honour a friend of mine." Harry sagged. "God, I miss Luna. God, I miss a lot of them, back home."

"These names of which you speak…they are somewhat familiar, in a strange way," Sheik mused. "I cannot say why. It feels like I have heard them, in a dream."

"Yeah, same here," Link muttered. "It's weird…"

* * *

They said nothing more on the matter, until they climbed part of the mountain that had once had a wooden scaffolding with stairs. Now, it just had climbable netting, due to the Gorons smashing it. A pair of Gorons lay in wait. They knew this already because they had seen their spirit forms in the Twilight Realm. The Gorons were burly, rocky beings who could curl up into boulder-like forms to roll into their enemies. "Halt!" one of them yelled. "This pass is no longer open to humans! Go back, or we will force you back!"

"I am Lady Sheik!" Sheik retorted. "My companions and I seek an audience with either Patriarch Darbus or Elder Gor Coron! Would you kindly send word to either of them?"

The two Gorons looked at each other, and discussed things in their language, before one of them rolled up, and began rolling up the hill. The remaining guard glared at them belligerently with his dark eyes. "Wait here, and do not attempt to pass without my say-so."

"Very welcoming," Midna remarked, huffing petulantly.

"Remember what we overheard them talking about, and what Eldin said," Link said quietly. "There's some sort of trouble in the mines. And if that Fused Shadow fragment is involved…"

Harry nodded. "Could Zant have done it?"

"Zant always had these plans for weakening the lightdwellers," Midna said. "The Gorons were always major targets because of their strength. They're also resistant to magic and physical attacks. Attacking their leadership sounds just like him. You know, I could always use that portal we formed when we killed those Shadow Beasts just near Death Mountain."

"We're trying diplomacy first," Sheik said. "If that fails, _then_ we can try dodging the fists of belligerent Gorons."

Some minutes later, the Goron who went up the mountain came back down again. After a brief conversation, the one who returned turned to them. "Elder Gor Coron will grant an audience. But at the first sign of treachery, especially from that one," he pointed to Midna, "you will be crushed."

Midna rolled her eyes. "How rude…" she muttered.

* * *

They felt the eyes of the Gorons on them acutely as they ascended Death Mountain. They were forced to fend off a Bulblin attack a little way up the mountain, Link acquitting himself well. Eventually, they were led into a large audience chamber with a couple of elevators in the area. The Goron who was waiting for them was shorter than most, and a bit squatter, with pointed formations of crystal that brought one to mind of spiky white hair, albeit with a bald patch on the top.

Sheik approached him, and then knelt, showing the Triforce symbol on her hand. "Elder Gor Coron. It is good to meet you once more."

"Lady Sheik…or rather, the Princess Zelda," Gor Coron said. "In somewhat motley company, though given the news I had heard of Hyrule being conquered…please introduce your companions."

Sheik nodded, standing as she did so. "The Twili is Lady Midna, the rightful Twilight Princess, usurped by Zant. She seeks to stymie Zant's campaign of conquest, and retake her throne. The youth with the blonde hair and the green clothes is Link of Ordon Village, and the chosen of Farore, the Bearer of the Triforce of Courage. The youth with the dark hair is Harry Potter, marked by the Goddesses as the Champion of Twilight."

Gor Coron nodded. "Well met. It has been some time since we last saw each other, and then, it was outside your disguise. Only your late and august father told me of your disguise, lest you would be forced to flee here. Tell me then, why did you come here? I only allowed you up here because it would be a great discourtesy to deny the Princess of Hyrule, even if she is in disguise."

Sheik indicated Midna, who stepped forward. "Elder Gor Coron," Midna said, drawing upon her reserves of diplomacy, going down to one knee in front of him. "Long ago, the Light Spirits of Hyrule sealed the power of the Interlopers, my predecessors, away. In order to fight back against Zant, we are seeking out that power once more. The Light Spirit told us that the next fragment of this power is locked away in your sacred mines. We would venture that this is related to your current problem."

"And you wish to resolve it for us?" Gor Coron asked. After a moment, he scoffed, not in disdain towards Midna, but at the thought of allowing strangers to help. "Gorons look after our own matters. And in any case, you are of the same people as Zant, and you wear part of that very dark magic you speak of on your head, and it may set a bad precedent to allow you access to our sacred mines. I trust Lady Sheik, but how can I trust you, Lady Midna?"

Midna gritted her teeth, but held her tongue. Until she said, "And what can I do to earn that trust?"

Gor Coron pondered this. "First, tell me truthfully. Patriarch Darbus is influenced by the very power you seek. Can it be taken from him without slaying him in the process?"

"I don't know," Midna admittedly truthfully. "If we are fortunate, yes. But I cannot make any guarantee, especially not without seeing him. He has been…taken over by the Fused Shadow?"

"And transformed into a monster," Gor Coron said. "At least you are honest enough in that regard, not to give any guarantee for his continued life. But what then? I would rather a solution that had his life be saved be found."

"We won't know until we try," Harry said, getting a little impatient with the byplay. When Gor Coron looked at him, he said, "Sorry, I'm a bit Gryffindor. Or, if you want the translation, I'm the sort that rushes in where angels fear to tread. I mean, it's better to have failed trying to do the right thing, right?"

"Harry, you are not helping!" Midna hissed.

"On the contrary," Gor Coron said, "he shows the strength of his resolve." He looked at Link. "And what of you, Link of Ordon?"

"I've come too far to back out," Link said. "For the sake of all of Hyrule, I will help your people in whatever way I can."

"The Goron Mines are not for the weak of heart or will or body," Gor Coron cautioned. "Even Gorons have trouble in there."

"I understand. But…I have been chosen for a reason. I don't like it, but I need to do it, for the sake of my friends, and for Hyrule. I'm not going to run away."

Gor Coron waddled over to Link, and peered into his eyes. "I see…fear, and doubt." He then waddled over to Harry, and peered into Harry's eyes. "I see…weariness, too much cynicism for one so young, even a hint of madness." He then waddled away, but then, said, his back to them, "But I also see courage and resolution and determination, strengths that can even match that of a Goron. I will allow you all access to the mines, but some words of caution first. Since Zant made an appearance and attacked the Patriarch, the mines have been infested with Bulblins. Even then, there are many monsters that will test your skill with your magic and your weapons. There are also many security systems, including Beamos we have crafted. The key to where we have Patriarch Darbus imprisoned is divided into three segments, and are in the custody of my fellow Goron Elders: Gor Amoto, Gor Ebizo, and Gor Liggs. I will send word via our telegraph system to them."

"You have my thanks, Elder," Sheik said. "We will endeavour to ensure that your Patriarch is returned to you. We have also put a spell into place that means that Zant will find it hard to attack your home again."

"The best of luck to you all, then," Gor Coron said, indicating an elevator at the rear of the chamber. "You shall need it."

 _Out of the frying pan_ , Harry reflected as the quartet stepped into the lift, _and into the fire. Why is nothing ever easy?_

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Once again, sorry for the wait on the new chapter. I hope you guys liked it. We'll probably skip the dungeon again until partway through the fight against Darbus/Fyrus when the next chapter arrives.**

 **Review-answering time!** **dragonlordandsword** **: Sadly, I'm shit at writing battle scenes. In other works I have written, I compared my ability to write fight scenes to that of other people to write sex scenes. Many people write sex scenes like they are assembly guides for furniture, hence a term called 'IKEA erotica'. If so, I would be guilty when it comes to fight scenes of 'IKEA fights'.**

 **1\. By this Link, I mean the one who was the protagonist of the manga inside the** ** _Hyrule Historia_** **, and is mentioned to a small degree in** ** _Skyward Sword_** **.**

 **2\. Fanon suggested that the timelines split in two after** ** _Ocarina of Time_** **, supported by rumours of an official chronology of the series used by Nintendo.** ** _Hyrule Historia_** **showed there were actually three alternate timelines, as officially shown by Nintendo.**


	9. Chapter 8: Revelations

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **REVELATIONS**

"Hit the gem again!" Harry yelled as he poured as much of his magic as he could into a Body-Bind, Midna transforming her hair into a massive orange hand to hold down the beast that was once Darbus. The Fused Shadow, or whatever magic Zant had used to fuse it with Darbus, was resisting their spells, and had done during the fight. However, the hulking, flame-covered beast that was once the leader of the Gorons, although a powerful opponent, was being overcome by the four of them. Harry and Midna were mainly distractions, while Link and Sheik, using bows, fired upon the gem in the middle of the transformed Darbus' forehead. Whenever Darbus toppled over, usually from tripping over the very chains shackled to his ankles, Link and Sheik moved in to hit the gem with their swords.

Link landed the _coup de grace_ , and Darbus, with a roar of pain, changed back to normal, with the darkness bursting off him, and then reforming into another fragment of the Fused Shadow. Midna walked over and picked it up, putting it into her pocket dimension. "Three down," she said. "One to go. And that was an arduous one, too."

She wasn't kidding. The Forest Temple wasn't a walk in the park, but at least it didn't have lava everywhere. Not only that, but the quartet had to fight off a massive Goron guard by the name of Dangoro who hadn't gotten the memo about them being here to help. Sheik already had a bow, but after Dangoro finally got the message about them being here to help, he allowed them to take another, one which Link now used. The three Goron Elders were cooperative, though.

Sheik went over to the collapsed Darbus. "He's still alive."

"Good," Midna said. "I don't want to deal with pissed-off Gorons. And the Fused Shadow's already done enough damage here."

"So why are we tracking them down?" Link asked.

"Because, Link, we can direct that damage at the enemy: namely Zant and Ganondorf," Midna said. "Like most weapons, it is not innately good or evil, it depends on the wielder. Of course, there are some weapons only certain people can wield. Like the legendary Master Sword of Hyrule. Once we get all the fragments of the Fused Shadow, maybe we should track that down."

"In all likelihood, we may have to," Sheik said. "The Master Sword is the only sword that can truly do damage to Ganondorf, being the Sword of Evil's Bane. And considering that he is the power behind Zant…"

Any further discussion was interrupted when Darbus groaned, and got to his feet. The massive Goron muttered, "My head…what the hell happened to me?" He did a double-take when he saw Sheik. "Lady Sheik!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing so far into the Goron Mines?"

After a moment, to spare the Goron Patriarch's pride, she said, "We heard about an invasion by Zant and his minions. We came to reverse the effects of what happened."

"Zant…that armoured coward," Darbus growled. "I…I don't remember what happened, but I remember him…" His eyes roved over the others, before stopping on Midna. "You! Who are you, Twili?"

Midna's eyes narrowed at Darbus' tone. "I am Lady Midna, the Twilight Princess, and true ruler of the Twilight Realm. And I've been cleaning up the mess Zant the Usurper left behind!"

Darbus snorted. "If Lady Sheik trusts you, then I will give you the benefit of the doubt. The same goes for the other two humans. You must possess great strength to make it this far."

"We've made it so Zant will have trouble making his way here again," Harry said. "Hopefully, that'll be enough."

* * *

They stayed long enough to make sure Darbus could make his own way back to his people, before teleporting back to Kakariko. There, Eldin told them to venture forth to Lanayru Province for the final Fused Shadow fragment.

The four adventurers decided that they needed to take a break before setting forth to go to Lanayru. It was getting dark, and after their trials and travails in the Goron Mines, Sheik decided that they needed a rest first.

Link and Sheik walked to the graveyard of Kakariko Village as dusk settled over the area, Sheik having pulled down the cloth covering her mouth. Her features were not dissimilar to Zelda's, but there were different elements, Link thought. "How does it feel to change your appearance?" Link asked.

"…Natural, oddly enough," Sheik said quietly. A smile touched her lips. "I've been able to change my appearance since I was a baby. Unfortunately, my parents told me that pink is not an appropriate colour for a princess' hair. I just have these dreams of my having pink hair. And a name. A name I hated."

"How can you have a name you hated?" Link asked.

"Well, while the name itself is a lovely one, it's also a rather pretentious one." Sheik sighed. "To tell the truth, I feel a little more comfortable as Sheik than as Zelda. All those robes and dresses, all the obligations and expectations…" She looked at her hand, the one with the Triforce branded on it. "The weight of destiny on my shoulders…in my dreams, I see someone like that. I could swear that it is Harry."

"Yeah, that's the oddest thing," Link said. "I had dreams growing up. That I was half-man, half-monster. Now that I come to think about it, Harry's in them too, or someone like him. A boy with a weight of destiny on his shoulders, like we do." Link chuckled, and then saw the moon, rising early. "I used to be afraid of the moon, you know. I was afraid that, when the full moon came out, a monster would come out too," he said pensively. "I even had a wife in that dream. One who loved me, despite being half-monster."

Sheik frowned, before saying, "I have a most peculiar feeling. As if we should know each other, Link."

Link blinked, before he said, "Actually, you're right. I feel the same thing. I mean…I used to be afraid of wolves, too. And yet…I turn into one, and it feels…familiar. I've only noticed it looking back on it, but…" He looked over at Sheik, who was contemplating the Triforce brand again, only this time, it was glowing. With a start, he looked at his own, which was doing the same thing. "Should it be doing that?"

Suddenly, they heard a voice, the voice of a woman. _Bearers of the Triforce, the Chosen of Farore, and the Chosen of I, Nayru…REMEMBER!_

* * *

Harry and Midna, meanwhile, were perched on the roof of the Kakariko Inn. Midna had removed the Fused Shadow on her head, but had kept her hood and headdress off. "So, what d'you think those two are off doing?" Midna asked.

"Buggered if I know," Harry said. "I mean, we've been travelling and fighting pretty much non-stop since we brought Zelda…I mean, Sheik in. Maybe they're just curious about their fellow Triforce bearers, and they've got some time to talk to each other about it."

"Or maybe they wanted some alone time," Midna said with an impish grin, waggling her eyebrows meaningfully. She laughed when Harry did a double-take. "Well, probably not. They belong to different social strata. I mean, you see it a lot in stories and tales, but how many times does the peasant win the hand of the princess in real life?"

"Fair enough," Harry said. He never really thought about that, really.

"Well, I guess she could ennoble him for services performed for Hyrule," Midna mused. "That's what I'd do if I were in her shoes." She looked down at her bare feet. "Well, if I wore them, anyway."

"What, so you like Link?" Harry asked.

"Well, he's kinda cute, and he's pretty handy in a fight. Quick-witted when things come down to the wire. Poor guy's out of his depth, but he's doing well. Plus, I saw the way he looks at me. He can't help but look at me."

"Given that you wear a revealing robe that makes you pretty much half-naked…" Harry said.

Midna gave a mock glare, and pointed to the black parts of her body. "These are part of my apparel too, Harry! They are tailored out of pure shadow!"

"Okay, okay, I stand corrected. I just thought you were an exhibitionist," Harry said with a smile.

"The robes are a sign of my status. All Twili craft shadows into coverings of their body. Only the nobles wear fabric." Her face settled into a morose expression. "It's partly because fabric is in short supply in our realm. There are few animals or plants that can supply such a thing in the Twilight Realm."

An awkward silence fell for a time. Eventually, Harry said, "Did you have anyone in the Twilight Realm? Any friends?"

Midna sighed. "Not really. I come from one of the royal families, Harry. Well, technically, it's branches of the same family. Zant, believe it or not, is a very distant cousin. An heir gets chosen when the reign of the current Twilight Ruler has come to an end, based on personal qualities, though there's also a lot of politicking that goes on behind the scenes. In my part of the family, I was an only child. My mother died in childbirth, and my father was the Twilight Ruler before me. I was raised in the duty of becoming a Twilight Ruler. But…I had a tendency to act up. They called me 'the Imp' for it." She chuckled sadly. "But…I had nobody who saw me as Midna, rather than as a potential ruler of my domain. Actually, that's why your presence is…refreshing. You don't treat me exactly like a princess. Then again, considering what I saw in your memories…I can understand why. You were in the same boat. You had so many expectations as the Boy Who Lived."

Harry nodded. "You got me there. So, what are you saying? Are we friends?"

"I think so. Helps that you're easy on the eyes," Midna said with a smirk. It then fell. "Did you have…anyone? I mean, I saw your memories, but…I want your opinion."

"I'm not sure. There's Hermione, but I've never quite thought about her as more than a sister. I did have a thing for a girl called Ginny…but I broke it off. She told me that I wouldn't be happy unless I was chasing Voldemort." Harry sighed. "It's a moot point now. I don't think I can go back again."

Midna shuffled over, and put an arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks. I'm…I'm not sure what I feel about that anyway. I mean, on one hand, I won't see my friends again, and I've been roped into another adventure. But on the other hand…I feel _free_. Free of being the Boy Who Lived. That once I get this over and done with…I'll finally be able to settle down without fear. I mean, back home, after vanquishing Voldemort, my fame would have skyrocketed. I don't know how I could have lived with that."

"Who knows? Only the Goddesses, and they're meddlesome hussies(1)," Midna remarked.

Harry chuckled. "Look, better them when they tell me upfront about what they expect of me, rather than a meddlesome old man who kept his cards close to his chest."

"I guess," Midna said. "And they directed Zelda to give me this gift, to walk around Hyrule without dying or retreating to shadow. I have to say…I like it. But I miss the Twilight Realm. It's home. And Twilight feels better than light." She looked over at him, her sunset-coloured eyes, red irises on yellow sclera, peering into his own. He could get lost in those eyes very readily, those beautiful eyes. Especially as they glittered, not with her customary wry wit or anger at her fate, but with a sort of longing.

Before he could lose himself any further in her eyes, though, he heard Link call, "Harry! Midna! Come down!"

"How rude," Midna pouted, before she gently held on to Harry, and gently stepped off the building, slowing their descent with magic, with Link and Sheik waiting below. Sheik had removed the cloth around her face, and the cloth wrapped around her hair.

"Harry…" Link said, his demeanour subtly different. "There's something you need to know. Nayru…she's told us something, revealed something important."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Link looked over at Sheik. "Show him."

Sheik smiled, and then, a blizzard of lights appeared around her face. After a brief moment, they vanished…

…Only to reveal a face Harry thought he'd never see again. Heart-shaped, with dark eyes, and a shock of spiky bubblegum-pink hair. He gaped in open shock. "It can't be."

"Wotcher, Harry," said the woman in a familiar voice, though the tone was still that of Sheik's. "And given that Link turns into a wolf at the drop of a hat, I think you can infer who he used to be. The details are rather labyrinthine. It is due to time moving in strange ways between the different realms. I know you only just saw us die not long ago, but for us, it was nearly a lifetime. Only now, Nayru restored our pasts."

Midna frowned, and then turned to Harry. "What is she talking about, Harry?"

"I don't know how. I'm not even sure whether this is true…but if she's telling the truth…I knew them back home. They died during the last battles. Midna, if I am not having a cruel trick played on me…these two are the reincarnations of Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks!"

"Do not call me Nymphadora!" Sheik, her face still as Tonks, snapped.

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it, the little twist I've been holding onto since Chapter 6. And someone actually guessed who they were correctly. Yes, Remus Lupin is Link, and Tonks is Zelda/Sheik. They've been through another lifetime, though, so their personalities are understandably somewhat different. They've only just regained their memories, too, so they're not instantly going to turn into teenaged versions of Lupin and Tonks…**

 **1\. I based this on one of the more execrable lines from one of the worst** ** _Doctor Who_** **stories ever made,** ** _The Horns of Nimon_** **. That story was a bad case of good story, shame about the execution.**


	10. Chapter 9: The Next Stage of the Journey

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **THE NEXT STAGE OF THE JOURNEY**

"So, let me get this straight," Midna said after a full explanation, her sunset-like eyes glittering with annoyance (at the Goddesses more than anything else) and bemusement. "You two are actually reincarnations of two people Harry knew back in his home? And you two were actually married?"

Link nodded. "Now that I have my memories back…I have to say, I'm grateful not to be a werewolf anymore…what happens in the Twilight Realm notwithstanding. Of course, it's ironic now that I'm a chosen one myself. I don't envy you Harry, not that I ever did."

"Yes, it's a rather disconcerting feeling," Sheik said, her face back to her appearance as Sheik. "Having lived the life of a princess, I know what having to deal with expectations is like now. And being a princess is tougher than I ever thought."

"I know, right?" Midna asked, seeing, finally, a kindred spirit in Sheik, aka Zelda, aka Nymphadora Tonks. Well, Nymphadora Lupin, really, but Harry kept thinking of her as Tonks. "Seriously, aren't etiquette and deportment lessons a pain in the arse?"

"Indeed," Sheik said dryly.

"So…does that mean anyone else who's died back home will be reincarnated here?" Harry asked.

"Nayru did not tell me," Sheik said as she fixed the wrappings around her lower face. "It is possible, but…I wouldn't count on them being our allies. I saw many Death Eaters die."

Harry nodded. Remus and Tonks weren't there when Bellatrix Lestrange was killed by Molly Weasley. The thought of that particular woman reincarnated here gave him the chills.

* * *

In a field of flowers just near Hyrule Castle, unaware that she had become a spirit in the Twilight Realm, the eccentric girl known only as 'Princess' Agitha sneezed loudly, and blinked. She hoped it wasn't hayfever, or else she wouldn't be able to collect her loyal subjects, aka the bugs…

* * *

"So, back to the matter at hand, it's on to Lanayru Province next," Midna mused.

Sheik nodded. "I think we can save some time by teleporting to Hyrule Castle Town, and from there, we start looking for a way down to Lake Hylia. It is there that Lanayru resides, and we need the Light Spirit to give us the next vessel to contain the Tears of Light."

"Which means you get to become a wolf again, Link," Harry said all-too-cheerfully.

"I can hardly wait. At least it's less painful than becoming a werewolf," Link remarked wearily.

* * *

They made their way back to Hyrule Castle Town. Link, who had transformed once again, had suddenly taken off, following a scent. The others followed, moving by the various spirit forms of the townsfolk. Harry, like Midna and Sheik, could see them if he wished to. It required almost flipping a switch in his head, like looking at one of those 3D puzzles.

The people were wholly unaware that they had become insubstantial spirits, capable only of interacting with each other. The only way to reverse this was to remove the Twilight from the area.

They soon found a pub, with Link entering it, followed by the others. Harry frowned when he saw the spirits that had drawn Link's attention. There was a rather heavyset woman with red hair, watching as a slender blonde-haired girl in her teens watched over a boy on the bed. Said boy had grey skin, no hair, and seemed like a human with fish-like features, even gills. "That's Telma," Sheik said, indicating the heavyset woman, "the owner of this pub. She's rather crass at times, but she's a loyal woman. I've met her on a few occasions when I snuck out of the castle. She's of mixed Hylian and Gerudo descent(1). The Zora is Prince Ralis, the heir to the throne of the Zoras. Something's very wrong, he normally wouldn't be this far away from Zora's Domain without an escort. He seems to suffer from illness and dehydration."

Harry frowned when he looked at the teenaged girl, the one Link was looking at sadly. "I think this girl is Ilia."

Link barked in concurrence, even nodding. Midna pursed her lips. "Well, that's cruel. So close to the girl he wanted to save, and yet, so far. But how did she end up here?"

"We'll have to answer that question later," Sheik said. She briefly went over to a table with some soldiers gathered around it, before she returned. "These guards were going to send an expedition to find out why the Zora's River has dried up, and with it, Lake Hylia. I'm guessing Zant had something to do with that. We'll save the river and the Zoras with them, as I am sure they are in trouble as well, and we'll banish the Twilight from this area."

"And what do you want me to do with the other hand?" Midna asked wearily.

"I'll let you know," Sheik said, a slight smirk behind her wrappings(2)…

* * *

With that in mind, they left Hyrule Castle Town, and headed for Lake Hylia. They reached the Great Hyrule Bridge first, set over the lake, with Sheik frowning, and holding the others from advancing. "Wait, look at the bridge. See how it glistens? That's not water. I think that's oil. I think someone's set a trap. They'd set the oil on fire to try and burn us alive. Midna, how good is your teleporting ability? Can you get us to Lake Hylia?"

"I need to be able to visualise a destination first," the Twilight Princess mused.

Sheik nodded, before she indicated the cliff overlooking part of Lake Hylia. "Could you get us down there?"

Midna pursed her lips, and looked down. After a moment, she conceded, "…Yes. Yes, I could. It's a bit tricky, but I can. Hold on."

Harry and Sheik did so, Midna bending down to hold Link, before they dissolved into a blizzard of dark particles that reappeared on part of the exposed lakebed below. The quartet looked around the mostly drained lakebed, with only a few patches of water anywhere. Sheik peered at one rather deep body of water. "That's where the entrance to the Lakebed Temple of the Zoras is. Once we dispel the Twilight and ensure neither Zora's Domain or Prince Ralis are in danger, that will be our next destination, I'm sure."

"And the Light Spirit? Lanayru?" Harry asked.

Midna, who had been looking around, pursing her lips in thought, pointed at a prominent cave opening, inaccessible from where they were by swimming or climbing. Judging by where the lake had receded from, though, it could have been accessible by swimming. "Over there. Sheik?"

Sheik, following Midna's pointing finger, nodded. "Yes. That is indeed the grove to Lanayru's spring. Do you think you can do another teleport to the entrance, Midna?"

Midna pouted facetiously. "Demanding, aren't you?" Once more, she held onto Link, while Harry and Sheik held on. The quartet once more dissolved into a blizzard of dark particles that reformed near the entrance. Without any further word, they went inside…

* * *

There were many things worse than death, Queen Rutela of the Zoras reflected. She should know: she was dead, and still bound to this mortal plane, forced to watch as her people suffered. Zoras could survive being frozen alive in water, she knew. But normal freezing merely made them hibernate until the ice was thawed. That vile bastard Zant had told her that his spell, the one that froze Zora's Domain, would keep them conscious, in perpetual frozen agony. Aware of every second spent in frozen impotency. A cruel torture, imposed by a cruel man. He had even taunted her that he had poisoned her son, Ralis, condemning him to a slow, painful death that even dehydration wouldn't save him from.

Her husband had been sent to the Lake of Light, but here she was, in purgatory, trapped by the cruel magic of Zant. She had ceased wailing and lamenting long ago. It did her little good, save to test the acoustics of Zora's Domain. Instead, she waited, berating herself for what she did in her life.

It was after an interminable period of time that she became aware of voices. Not the warped noises of the creatures inhabiting Twilight, but voices speaking the Hylian tongue.

"…teleporting blindly up a frozen waterfall is not my idea of a good time, and neither is riding a shadow-infested Kargarok," a lilting female voice said.

"It worked, didn't it, Midna?" the voice was that of a young man. "I don't think even Fiendfyre can melt that lot, though."

"I don't think it wise to try, Harry." A second female voice, low and slightly androgynous. And familiar to Rutela. Like the Goron leaders, the Zora leaders were privy to Zelda's alter ego of Sheik, in case they needed to give her shelter.

"You know, I miss you talking like Tonks," the young man, presumably Harry, said. Then, a trio of people, along with a wolf, walked in. Rutela instantly recognised the slender form of Sheik, Zelda's Sheikah disguise. But her companions were a motley crew.

One of them looked human, with a messy mop of black hair, and green eyes dancing with weariness and even a touch of madness behind glasses. Nonetheless, there was the bearing of, if not an actual warrior, then someone who righted wrongs. Close to him, to her astonishment, was what appeared to be a Twili, not the Shadow Beasts, but a woman, of elegance and grace and beauty, her bluish-grey skin covered with dark markings. She was dressed in a robe, though she also had what looked like part of a stone helmet on her head. Her exposed eye was the colour of a sunset.

The wolf could have been considered the lesser of them, but Rutela could feel a divine presence from it, just as she could from Zelda. The mark of the Triforce was picked out on the wolf's head, its eyes were a pale blue that was almost human, and certainly, the way it looked around was distinctly human. Indeed, Rutela realised that the wolf had been human.

The quartet made their way to the central pool, and looked down. Their senses must be attuned to the spiritual, because the Twili snarled in disgust. "That bastard Zant's frozen them," she said. "I can't reverse this with my own magic. But we need to thaw this somehow."

Suddenly, a bunch of staves dug into the ice around them, and they all looked around. "Shadow Beasts," Sheik hissed. "Get ready."

The ensuing battle was swift. Clearly, they had fought the Shadow Beasts before, as they dispatched the misshapen creatures with ruthless efficiency. Both Sheik and the Twili fought with grace, while the wolf tore out the throat of one creature. The human boy, Harry, used magic fired from a wand to attack. Soon, the staves were dispelled, and the defeated Shadow Beasts dissolved, only to reform into a portal hanging over the frozen pool.

"That's convenient," the Twili mused, looking up, and then looking down. "There's a similar one at Death Mountain, right where…" She blinked, then looked into the frozen pool. "Ah, perfect. They're not in the middle of the pool. Good!"

"What are you thinking of, Midna?" Sheik asked.

The Twili, presumably Midna, said, "Remember that chunk of volcanic rock that nearly hit us at Death Mountain, the huge one? I wager it's still pretty damn hot. I can teleport it there. The rest of you, split up and look for those damned insects. And stay away from the pool, unless you want to get steam-cooked."

As she dissolved in a blizzard of dark particles, Harry, Sheik, and the wolf split up, Sheik staying close to the wolf. Rutela watched as Sheik, upon hearing growling from the wolf, suddenly tensed, before throwing a knife at a nearby wall. A grotesque insect shrieked, before falling to the ground, dead, and bursting into a scintillating orb of light.

Harry, however, was approaching her. Rutela realised, after a moment, that he could see her. "Can you see me?" Rutela asked.

"Well, yes. Are you a Zora?"

"In life, I was their Queen. In death, I am but a shade of what I once was. The late Queen Rutela at your service."

"Sheik! Link!" Harry yelled. Sheik and the wolf scampered over, with Sheik's eyes widening. She removed the cloth covering her face, and knelt.

"Queen Rutela…so you are another of Zant's victims," Sheik said.

"Lady Sheik…or rather, the Princess Zelda," Rutela said. "Indeed I am. My husband, and then myself, were executed as examples to the Zoras. Times are strange indeed if you consent to consort with a Twili and a wolf."

"Link is a Hylian cursed by Twilight, but he is the chosen of Farore, bearing the Triforce of Courage," Sheik said. "Midna is the deposed Twilight Princess, usurped by Zant. They both seek to stop Zant from blanketing Hyrule in Twilight, and Midna wishes to take back her throne. To that end, we seek to gain access to the Lakebed Temple."

"And this one?" Rutela said, indicating Harry.

"He is a wizard from another world, chosen by the Goddesses to be the Champion of Twilight," Sheik said. "He is Harry Potter, a name that means much in that other world, though his fame is a little undeserved. Not that he wanted that fame in the first place: the fame was due to him surviving a lethal curse that all others succumbed to. And it was his parents who ensured his survival, not any innate ability."

"Still didn't stop people from buying into that Boy Who Lived shit," Harry muttered sullenly.

Rutela smiled. But before she could say anything, a massive, red-hot rock suddenly plunged out of the portal and into the frozen pool. With a cacophony of hissing and cracking noises, it sunk into the pool, thawing it as it went. As if it broke the curse simply by destroying the ice in the pool, the frozen river suddenly sprang into life, ice becoming water.

Midna materialised above the pool, only to fall in with a yelp of surprise. Harry and Sheik laughed, and even the wolf snuffled in a way that suggested chuckling. Even Rutela couldn't help but laugh when they pulled the sodden Twili out of the water.

"How rude," Midna pouted. Around them, the Zora began to emerge from the pool. Midna looked back in. "Looks like all of them have revived." She then noticed Rutela. "Ah, did you guys know we have a ghost looking on?"

"Yes," Sheik said. "This is the late Queen Rutela of Zora's Domain."

"Ah. Was that her kid we saw at Hyrule Castle Town?"

Sheik nodded, before Rutela asked, "I know you are preoccupied with stopping Zant. But I implore you, please help my son. Only then can my soul know respite."

A look passed between Harry and Midna, but whatever was on their minds, they didn't voice. They had helped free Rutela's people from their icy living internment. Eventually, Sheik said, "We will do our utmost, Queen Rutela. And we will take measures to ensure Zant does not target your people for retribution."

"You have my thanks, all of you. I would try to do what I could myself, but…alas, as a spirit, I am impotent. Save my child, though, and I can grant you what you require to go through the Lakebed Temple. The best of luck to all of you."

"We'll need it," Harry muttered.

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait. It may be a while before the next one too. However, I hope you liked it all the same. We'll have a timeskip to the meeting with the revived Lanayru. There won't be a trippy dream sequence like in the game: everyone's up to speed on the history of the Twili and the dangers of the Fused Shadows. Well, more or less.**

 **Review-answering time!** **dragonlordandsword** **: Other than that brief cameo during this chapter (I couldn't resist trying to find a Zelda character whom Bellatrix would reincarnate as, and Agitha, while not bloodthirsty, was the best fit I could get), I have no plans to bring in more Potterverse characters into this story. I may do so later, but I have no plans.**

 **davidteague3950** **: I agree,** ** _Twilight Princess_** **is my personal favourite of the series. I've completed most of the actual console games from** ** _Ocarina of Time_** **onwards. That is,** ** _Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker_** **, and** ** _Twilight Princess_** **. I've also completed** ** _Link's Awakening_** **and** ** _Phantom Hourglass_** **. And yes, I know Tonks would be Nymphadora Lupin, but I think she'd call herself Tonks because Remus Lupin would call himself Lupin.**

 **1\. The pointy ears suggested Hylian descent, but I thought Telma looked a bit like a more heavyset Gerudo, so I thought I'd make this up.**

 **2\. Midna's snark and Sheik's response is based on a similar exchange between Avon and Blake in the British science fiction series** ** _Blake's 7_** **, specifically the episode (if I recall correctly)** ** _Redemption_** **.**


	11. Chapter 10: Healing the Prince

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **HEALING THE PRINCE**

"Well," Harry remarked, shaking his head as he glared at Lanayru, a Light Spirit who resembled a massive serpent, "that was singularly unpleasant. And that reminded me rather too much of an old teacher of mine who also liked to rape minds. You'd better have a bloody good reason for that aside from warning us about the power of the Fused Shadows."

The Light Spirit stared back at him, bemused, and understandably so. After they had gathered the Tears of Light (including having to destroy one of the ugliest, oversized monster bugs Harry had ever seen), they had met Lanayru, who promptly put them (well, Link, Midna, and Harry) through a rather unpleasant, surreal, and unsettling vision about the history of the Fused Shadows. Midna looked miffed, Link had been horrified by the imagery, and Harry was annoyed.

Eventually, Lanayru regained its handle on the moment, and said, _It was necessary. The Fused Shadows have lured the unwary. The Twilight Princess may know of them and their purpose, but even she does not truly comprehend their full power. And your ancestors coveted much within Hyrule. It is only the blessing of the Goddesses that I allow you to keep the relics your forefathers pilfered_.

"Even so, did you have to molest my mind?" Midna complained. "It's rude to rummage through someone's head like that, and put stuff into there. We're going to be having sleepless nights for weeks to come, now."

"Midna, please don't antagonize the powerful Light Spirit," Link sighed.

 _It would take more than sharp words to rouse my ire_ , Lanayru said, a tone of amusement evident in its voice. _No harm was intended, Twilight Princess, only instruction. You may know already of the history within the vision I granted you, but I was confirming the danger in what you seek. And in truth, the Fused Shadows may not yet be enough_.

"Why is that, Lanayru?" Sheik asked.

 _What you told me, of Ganondorf being the power behind Zant, may mean that the Fused Shadows may not be of use. But there is something that can help. After you are done with the Lakebed Temple, go then to the Sacred Grove. The Sword of Evil's Bane resides there_.

"The Master Sword," Sheik breathed.

 _Indeed. Go, then, on your endeavours, and do not fall prey to evil, without or within_ …

* * *

"Is it me, or was he a bit of a self-righteous sort?" Harry asked as they left Lanayru's spring.

"Deities of Hyrule tend to be," Midna groused. "Where to next?"

"The pub in Hyrule Castle," Link decided. "Ilia and Prince Ralis are there, and Queen Rutela wanted us to save Ralis."

 _And here I was thinking I was the one with the 'saving people thing'_ , Harry thought to himself.

* * *

When they entered Hyrule Town proper, they did so, albeit after disguising Midna with a spell, albeit one that only gave her more robes and pale, but human-looking, skin. They soon entered Telma's Pub, albeit after nearly being run over by a bunch of soldiers who were leaving. Telma, the heavyset woman from earlier, snorted. "Cowards." She then noticed the party coming her way. "Ah, welcome!" she said, smiling. "What can I do for you?"

"We heard you had a sick Zora here," Link said. "I also heard there was a girl from Ordon Village. I'm from Ordon myself, and I thought it might have been a friend of mine. Is her name Ilia?"

Telma, after peering at him, nodded. "Yes, she's here, but her name's about all she can remember, kid. What's your name?"

"I am Link. This is Sheik, this is Lady Midna, and this is Harry Potter," Link said, looking rather crestfallen hearing about Ilia.

"Anyway, how did you know about the Zora kid being here?" Telma asked.

"The ghost of his mother told us," Harry said bluntly. "Queen Rutela?"

Telma, after a moment, scowled. "So that boy's Ralis? Look, unfortunately, Borville, the doctor we have here…he claims he doesn't deal with Zora, but I personally think he's incompetent. The only healer I know of is in Kakariko. Renado, the leader. The problem is, I don't even remember how to get there anymore, and that's worrying. And of course, taking a horse and coach will be dangerous."

"Actually, I've got that covered," Harry said. "It'll be a bit rough on Ralis, but no rougher than a coach ride would be, and certainly less dangerous."

"Is it true that Ilia has lost her memory?" Link asked.

Telma shrugged. "See for yourself, kid."

* * *

True enough, Ilia didn't recognise Link, though she was still polite to him. Thankfully, Midna could teleport the lot of them over to Kakariko with ease, with Telma opting not to look a gift horse in the mouth, despite the appearance of Midna's teleporting technique.

Renado was soon striding out of his house. "Greetings, Telma," he greeted cordially, though something in his expression showed some sort of discomfort at the bartender being present.

"Hello, Renado," Telma said with a smile, before it dropped from her face. "I don't think we have time to waste on pleasantries. This boy needs your help." She indicated Ralis, who was being carried on a stretcher between Harry and Link.

"I see," Renado said. "Prince Ralis has fallen afoul of something. Very well, I will do my utmost to cure him of what ails him. Borville wasn't of any help?"

Telma snorted. "He's an incompetent, a coward, and a drunkard. He doesn't mind running up a huge tab, but when it comes time to pay the piper…"

"Never mind," Renado said. "This way, please. We'll bring him to the Elde Inn to begin his treatment…"

* * *

They soon brought Ralis into the inn, and after laying the Zora boy onto the bed, Renado began examining him. "Will he be all right?" Ilia asked anxiously.

"Hard to say. The illness has advanced significantly, not helped by chronic dehydration," Renado said. "The long period of dehydration exacerbated an illness he normally would have fought off. But Zoras are very vulnerable to dehydration. Why did he leave Zora's Domain?"

"Zant. _Again_ ," Midna said bitterly. "Zant murdered Rutela as an example to the Zoras."

"He must have been coming to Hyrule Castle to plead for help," Sheik mused.

"It's more than dehydration," Renado said, coming across an ugly-looking wound, with dark-looking vein-like markings spreading from it. "Someone deliberately poisoned him. And the poison itself is rather obscure. It's something the Gerudo used to use for their executions of those who flouted their laws most egregiously. It kills the user in a manner similar to an intense fever over several days. I doubt that Borville would have known what poison it was, even if he did know it was poison."

"How do you know about it?" Harry asked.

"I travelled far in my youth to learn of obscure diseases and poisons," Renado said. "Sometimes, poisons can be used as treatments for diseases, suitably modified, of course. They are also useful for hunting, if one is pressed. This poison is wholly unsuited for hunting, though, as it taints the meat."

"Do you have an antidote?" Link asked.

Renado nodded. "The antidote itself is not that obscure: Rare Chu Jelly. And before you despair, I keep some in reserve. It may be hard to find, but I try to get some in stock when I can. After that, Ralis will need at least a week if not more of convalescence. Wait here, I will go and fetch the Chu Jelly." And with that, he left.

There was an awkward silence in the room, filled only by the ragged sounds of Ralis' breathing. Then, Ilia said, to those gathered, "Thank you for your help. I…I encountered him on the road to Hyrule Castle Town. I didn't know where he had come from." A rueful smile came over her features. "Actually, I don't know where I come from. All I can remember is my name. But…" She looked at Link. "You seem to know me. I can see it in your eyes."

Link nodded, and knelt down next to Ilia. "You're Ilia, daughter of Mayor Bo of Ordon Village. We sometimes get into arguments, especially when you think I've overworked my horse, Epona. But we're friends. We have been for years."

"Are we?" Ilia asked, a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I wish I could say I remember that…but I don't."

"It is fine," Sheik said. "Perhaps time will grant you back what was stolen from you. You did well, in spite of amnesia, saving Prince Ralis."

"I didn't even know he was a prince!" Ilia said. "I just thought…he needed help."

"And that is even better, working to help someone with no desire for reward," Sheik said.

"You said it, honey," Telma said. "Not all heroes wield swords or magic. Sometimes, it's ordinary people doing good deeds. Not for money, but because it's the right thing to do. The fact that you did it without your memories makes it even better, because that means you're a fundamentally good person."

Ilia smiled, a little sadly, but it was a smile all the same. And Link returned that smile…

* * *

It was a little later. The kids from Ordon, had gone to see Link and Ilia, with Renado giving Ralis the Rare Chu Jelly. Link and Colin, along with the others, were regaling Ilia with anecdotes of their life in Ordon, partly to see if they could jog her memory, and partly to keep her from getting depressed. Sheik had remained with them in support of Link. And Harry and Midna had some alone time at last, having been interrupted when they tried it last in Kakariko.

As they walked down the street of Kakariko, noticing Gorons now dotting the streets, selling wares, Harry remarked, "We seem to be doing some good, at least."

"For Hyrule," Midna said, a slight tinge of bitterness in her tone. "For the light-dwellers."

"Hey, every scheme we thwart of Zant's is a step closer to giving him a coronary, with any luck."

At his quip, Midna actually laughed, that beautiful, musical laugh tinkling across his soul. "Yeah, I guess. Every scheme we thwart of Zant's is worth it. The more frustrated and angry he is, the happier I am. That may not be the best reason to help…but…"

"That's not the only reason why you're helping," Harry said. "It's for your people, right?"

"Of course! What sort of ruler would I be if I didn't do it for my people?" Midna said. "I'd be like Zant."

"Yeah, but Zant sets the bar pretty low."

"…Then why do you do this, Harry? I mean, aside from the Goddesses telling you to do so?"

Harry shrugged as he thought about it. Eventually, he said, "An old friend of mine back home told me once that I had a 'saving people thing'. She was pretty exasperated. She's as bossy as you are at times, and she's probably one of the smartest witches in Britain. She was also one of my oldest friends."

"You mean Hermione, right? I saw her when I went through your memories," Midna said. "So many expectations were heaped on you, just like with me. Only, you were expected to be a hero."

"And by Dumbledore, I was expected to be a martyr," Harry said a little bitterly. "Oh, he tried to ensure that I would survive, but…he wanted me to be his weapon. I recognise that in hindsight. But…at least I'm no longer his weapon, his tool. Maybe I am for the Goddesses…but I'm not sure I care. At least they told me up front what I was expected to do." He then looked at Midna. "And I got to meet you."

"Flatterer," Midna said. They had wandered up the path that came close to the remains of Barnes' bomb storehouse. The one they accidentally burned down while trying to catch one of those damned insects. After looking pensive, Midna looked at Harry. "After we beat Zant…where would you go?"

"I don't think I can go home. But I wouldn't mind staying here anyway. Even after we stop Ganondorf and Zant, I've got more than a few good reasons, one of whom's right here."

"Flatterer," Midna repeated with a smirk. They sat down together on one of the ruined walls of the storehouse. "I mean, I know we've had this talk before, and I know we haven't known each other very long…but I said earlier that we're friends. I hope we stay that way." She put an arm around his shoulder, like she had done while they were perched on the roof of the Elde Inn earlier.

"I thought you said the Twilight Princess doesn't give out intimate gestures so freely?" Harry asked wryly.

Midna laughed that tinkling, musical laugh again. "No…but you're not complaining, are you?"

"No."

"Well then," she said, turning her face to his, "would you like another intimate gesture?"

"Like what?"

Midna's response was not verbal. Instead, she gently leaned forward, and brought her lips to his own. Light and twilight met, and lingered. First a chaste kiss. Then, a somewhat more bold one, not quite a kiss of love, but of mild lust and desire. The Twilight Princess and the Boy Who Lived, kissing, their actions betraying the growth of their bond. And perhaps it was growing into something more…

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here you have it. At long last. After nine months. *sigh***

 **You'll notice that Link was a little more proactive in this chapter than in previous ones. This was deliberate. The game, after all, has Link as the main character.**

 **Now, a lot of my reviews basically had 'update soon' or worrying about whether this fic was dead or not. Can I please ask that you stop doing that? This fic, along with virtually every one of my other fanfics, are dependent on, amongst other things, my inspiration, and if it runs dry, I can't write it. Having people ask for a new chapter, no matter how polite or rude it is, merely adds pressure, and my creativity tends to shut down under pressure.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I'm glad** ** _Champion of Twilight_** **has such a faithful following. But I write wholly on my terms, not yours. And I have a LOT of stories you guys can read. Be patient if you can. I know that's a filthy word on the internet, but deal with it. I even have it on my profile, which nobody seems to read. It will be some time before a new chapter of this story turns up.**

 **Anyway, I'm going to do some shameless plugging of some of my other stories here. Firstly, for other Harry Potter stories with Harry having an influence on the events of a video game, check out my various** ** _Final Fantasy_** **crossovers, including my first fanfic** ** _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_** **, its sequels, its spiritual successor** ** _Vert the Emerald and the Cetra Heritage_** **(both** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **crossovers),** ** _Esper Child_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **),** ** _Mnemosyne's Son_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy VIII_** **),** ** _A Third Summoner, Amethyst and Garnet, Xenophilia_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **),** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **),** ** _Revenge of Shuyin_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, and a sequel to** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **),** ** _Ghost of Dalmasca_** **and** ** _Nitimur in Vetitum_** **(** ** _Final Fantasy XII_** **).**

 **I've also done other game crossovers that have Harry having effects on the game's story or backstory, like** ** _Broken Tools_** **(** ** _Metal Gear Solid_** **),** ** _Underground's Champion_** **(** ** _Undertale_** **),** ** _Henry Ashford and the Goblet of Fire_** **and its sequel** ** _Henry Ashford and the Wrath of Marcus_** **(** ** _Resident Evil_** **),** ** _Is Your Great-Aunt an AI?!_** **and its sequel** ** _Just How Can a Computer Do Magic?!_** **(** ** _Portal_** **).**

 **Finally, some reincarnation fics, not all of them Potterverse, though I haven't really done that many Potterverse reincarnation fics. Firstly, my Harry Potter/** ** _Doctor Who_** **crossover** ** _Renaissance of the Renegades_** **. Secondly,** ** _Black Mage of Kuoh_** **, a crossover between** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **and** ** _Highschool DxD_** **. Thirdly,** ** _L for Luna_** **, a one-shot crossover between Harry Potter and the old British science fiction serial** ** _A for Andromeda_** **. Finally, my recent crossover between** ** _Sekirei_** **and** ** _Pirates of the Caribbean_** **,** ** _Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, An Ashikabi's Life for Me_** **.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Nianque** **: Link and Zelda are reincarnations of the essences of their prior selves, but their souls are Remus and Tonks. It's like with** ** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_** **: Yugi and Bakura may be reincarnations of their prior selves, but they have their own souls.**

 **Eros-Blane** **: I don't know, probably not going to happen.**

 **Gabriel Herrol** **: No to either of them.** ** _Finite Incantatem_** **doesn't work with all magic, with more powerful magic being resistant if not immune to it.**

 **Ultimate-Zelda-Fan** **: No. No, I did not. Why would you think that there was a love triangle involved? Unless you're thinking Link/Zelda/Ilia.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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